Democratic congressional candidate Tracy Mitrano of Penn Yan said her opponent’s position on health care would make it harder for addicts seeking treatment.

Mitrano said Tuesday that neither Rep. Tom Reed’s push to end coverage for pre-existing conditions nor his support for President Donald Trump’s death penalty proposal for drug traffickers would do anything to curb the opioid crisis.

In introducing opioids as a routine pain killer in the mid-1990s, pharmaceutical companies “took the first steps” in the U.S. opioid/heroin epidemic, Mitrano said, adding that’s why she believes those companies should be forced to pay for treatment centers for people addicted to opioids and heroin. She added last year, more than 72,000 Americans died from opioid/heroin overdoses.

Recently Reed criticized Mitrano’s position favoring open injection sites over concern it would result in greater addiction and increased crime. He repeated those concerns during an afternoon press call, calling Mitrano’s position “extreme.”

“Research shows it does the opposite of what he reverts to fear-mongering about,” Mitrano said of Reed. She accused Reed of using “fear and misinformation to score political points.”

“He’s keeping us from looking at things we need to look at,” she said.

Mitrano said the public injection sites save lives and therefore need to be supported by the community and overseen by law enforcement and health officials.

Addicts who turned to street drugs like heroin after supplies of opioids were restricted now have to worry about fentanyl ordered by mail from Chinese sources, Mitrano said.

The Democratic candidate said she thought police and first responders should carry and administer Narcan, an opioid antidote that can bring an addict back from anear overdose.

However, she said it baffled her that addicts revived by Narcan can be allowed to walk away without getting treatment.

“Our president has declared it a national emergency, but has not provided the resources,” Mitrano said.

(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)