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The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will send a team of special task force in the State of New York to help combat the opioid epidemic. According to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the action comes after his major push and funding effort for the DEA. In June, He requested DEA to deploy an A-Team in New York City and Long Island to help fight the crisis.  At the time, the senator helped secure millions of funding for DEA in fiscal year 2017. The funding is for the creation of new enforcement groups focused on preventing heroin and fentanyl trafficking. According to Schumer, New York should receive a special heroine enforcement team. The agency made a commitment to help the State fight the opioid epidemic. Today, Schumer said, "New York is getting an A-Team to help tackle the heroin and fentanyl epidemic. A special heroin enforcement team will lend a major hand in the fight to end the opioid scourge." He added, "I’m pleased that the feds have heeded the call.” The A-team will be stationed in Long Island.

Heroin and opioid over dose death rates in New York

In 2015, New York’s heroin overdose death rate went up by 30%. Last year, the number of number of unintentional drug overdose deaths in New York City was 1,373. The figure rose 437 from 937 unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2015.