“If I needed to get help right now — I wouldn’t know who to call,” said Sara Benjamin, who lost her son, Kasriel to an overdose six years ago, on the stage of Operation Survival’s Opioid Epidemic Conference at The Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights. That, is precisely why fighting stigma, raising awareness, and coming together as a community to learn what can be done, is so critical when it comes to saving lives.
As for Sara Benjamin’s question, who to call in an emergency, New York City has set up a hotline to help combat mental illness and addiction, replacing what used to be just a suicide prevention hotline. If you or a loved one is suffering, please call: 1-800-NYC-WELL