Resources
Call 911 in the case of an overdose or medical emergency.
It is important to have trained medical professionals assess the condition of the overdosing person.
Hatzolah
718-387-1750
Misaskim
718-854-4548
Chesed Shel Emes
718-436-2121
Gas Emergency
718-643-4050
Poison Control
718-854-5200
Crown Heights 71st Precinct
718-735-0511
421 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225
Crown Heights 77th Precinct
718-735-0611
127 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11212
NYS Child Abuse and Maltreatment Register
Mandated reporters: 1-800-635-1522
General public: 1-800-342-3720
Crime Stoppers
1-800-577-TIPS
Organized Crime Control Bureau
1-888-374-DRUG
Sex Crimes Report Line
1-212-267-RAPE
Terrorism Tips Hotline
1-866-SAFENYS
Bellevue Hospital
462 1st Ave. (Cor. E 27 St.) NYC
212-562-4141
Beth Israel Hospital
281 1st Ave., Cor 16th St., NYC
212-420-2000
Columbia Presbyterian
622 W 168 St. NYC
212-305-2500
Coney Island Hospital
2601 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11235
718-616-3000
Downstate Medical Center
445 Lenox Rd. Brooklyn NY
718-270-1000
Kingsbrook Hospital
585 Schenectady Ave. Brooklyn NY
718-604-5000
Beth Israel — Kings Highway
3201 Kings Highway, Brooklyn NY
718-252-3000
Lenox Hill Hospital
100 E. 77 St., NYC
212-434-2000
Hospital for Joint Diseases
301 E. 17 St. & 2nd Ave., NYC
212-598-6000
Long Island College (LICH)
339 Hicks St., Brooklyn
718-780-1000
Long Island Jewish (LIJ)
270-05 76 Ave. New Hyde Park, Queens
718-470-3000
Memorial Sloan-Kettering
275 York Ave. bet. 67 & 68th St NYC
212-639-2000
Maimonides Hospital
4802 10th Ave. Brooklyn NY
718-283-6000
New York Cornell
525 E. 68 St., NYC
212-746-5454
Mount Sinai Hospital
1450 Madison Ave
212-241-6500
NYU Medical Center
560 1st Ave bet. 31 & 34 St. NYC
212-263-7300
Turning Point of Tampa
6227 Sheldon Road, Tampa, Florida 33615
Toll Free: 800-397-3006
World-wide: 813-882-3003
Alcohol
Excessive alcohol use, including binge drinking and underage drinking, is associated with an increased risk of a variety of health problems, including liver disease, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cognitive and neurological impairment, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders when alcohol is consumed during pregnancy.
For information on alcohol facts and its effects on your brain and body, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
For information about alcohol use disorders, see the Mental and Substance Use Disorders topic.
Opioids
Opioids are a class of drugs with a high potential for misuse and addiction. Repeated opioid use increases the risk of developing an opioid use disorder.
According to CDC data, approximately 54,000 people died from opioid-involved overdoses in 2024, a substantial decline from previous years. Experts attribute this decline to a combination of factors, including expanded access to Naloxone, increased treatment availability, and other public health interventions.
Drug overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18–44. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine, is involved in the majority of opioid overdose deaths. Naloxone can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
Tobacco
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 480,000 deaths each year—about one in five deaths annually. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For every person who dies from smoking, at least 30 others live with a serious smoking-related illness. More than 16 million Americans live with a disease caused by smoking.
Quitting before age 40 reduces the risk of dying from a smoking-related disease by about 90%.
Stimulants
Stimulants increase alertness, attention, heart rate, and blood pressure. They include amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine, and many prescription medications used to treat ADHD.
Misuse of stimulants can lead to agitation, paranoia, psychotic symptoms, irregular heartbeat, cardiovascular complications, and seizures.
For more information about stimulants and substance use disorders, visit SAMHSA.gov.
Marijuana
Marijuana is the most commonly used federally controlled substance in the United States. While legal for adults 21 and older in New York State, it remains illegal for minors and may pose particular risks to adolescents and young adults whose brains are still developing.
Heavy cannabis use is associated with problems in attention, memory, learning, and cognitive functioning, as well as an increased risk of psychosis and other mental health problems in some individuals. Research suggests that the earlier cannabis use begins, the greater the risk of long-term adverse effects.
For more information visit SAMHSA.gov.
K2
In New York State, it is illegal to possess, sell, offer to sell, or manufacture synthetic cannabinoids.
K2 refers to synthetic (man-made) chemicals that are often sprayed onto plant material for smoking or sold as liquids for vaping. These chemicals are not derived from the marijuana plant and can be significantly more dangerous and unpredictable than cannabis.
People who use synthetic cannabinoids have been hospitalized with severe effects including:
- Rapid heart rate
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Violent behavior
- Suicidal thoughts
Synthetic cannabinoids are often marketed under names such as K2, Spice, and many other brand names that change frequently.