Keyword: 'opioid' | Herald Community Newspapers

Dr. Michael Belfiore, left, and his attorney, Tom Liotti, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Central Islip that he was innocent on the second day of his trial in April.

Merrick doctor's opioid case is in the jury's hands

After a monthlong trial, a jury is expected this week to decide the fate of Michael Belfiore, a Merrick physician accused of writing hundreds of opioid prescriptions for profit and causing the deaths of two South Shore men. more

By Erik Hawkins | 5/17/18

Dr. Michael Belfiore walked out of U.S. District Court in Central Islip on Tuesday. He is on trial for allegedly overprescribing opioids and causing the overdose deaths of two men, and was implicated, but not charged, in the death of another.

Trial for doctor linked to Glen Cove overdose begins

The Merrick physician facing federal charges of illegally prescribing opioids, and causing the overdose deaths of two South Shore men, began on Wednesday, with prosecutors calling Dr. Michael Belfiore “a dealer, not a healer,” and Belfiore's defense attorney insisting that the doctor is being unfairly prosecuted. more

By Erik Hawkins | 4/19/18

Feds: Merrick doctor a 'dealer, not a healer'

The Merrick physician facing federal charges of illegally prescribing opioids, and causing the overdose deaths of two South Shore men, began on Wednesday, with prosecutors calling Dr. Michael Belfiore “a dealer, not a healer,” and Belfiore's defense attorney insisting that the doctor is being unfairly prosecuted. more

By Erik Hawkins | 4/19/18

Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas addressed a crowd of professionals at a conference on the opioid crisis on March 15 at Molloy College in Farmingdale.

Singas: Opioid crisis is lowering life expectancy

The opioid crisis facing Nassau County is also darkening the nation’s horizons, with the average life expectancy in the United States declining for the second consecutive year in 2016, according to Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. more

By Eden Laikin | 3/23/18

Holding drug addicts after detox worth considering

Parents are among the most stalwart figures in Long Island’s fight to curb the opioid crisis. Too many have lost children to addiction. They join community coalitions and turn out for public … more

2/18/18

Merrick doctor's opioid trial pushed back to spring

The trial of a Merrick doctor charged with illegally prescribing opioids for his own profit and causing two deaths by overdose will be put on-hold until April, a federal district court judge ruled last week. more

By Erik Hawkins | 1/11/18

After being sober for 12 years, Cory Bataan 45, of Bellmore, guides individuals through the recovery process with his company First Step Solutions. In addition to helping others, he said, he hopes to prevent his daughter Lexi, 15, from making the same mistakes that he did.

Beating the family curse

“When you get hit by a train, it’s not the last car that kills you — it’s the first,” wrote Bellmore’s Cory Bataan, 45, in a blog post about his yearslong battle with addiction. “It was the same for me with drinking.” more

By Brian Stieglitz | 11/9/17

The Bellmore-Merrick Community Coalition held its first meeting of the school year on Sept. 15. The task force hosts programs and events to help combat the opioid epidemic within the district, such as last February’s presentation on the impact of addiction on families, joined with the non profit Families in Support of Treatment.

Anti-drug coalition plots course for new school year

“We’re very lucky to be part of a school district that recognizes that there is a problem,” said Eric Caballero, an administrator in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, and co-chair of the Bellmore-Merrick Community Coalition. more

By Brian Stieglitz | 9/21/17

Merokean Lisa Schmidt spoke at a news conference on Aug. 24 about her son Joseph, who died of an opioid overdose when he was 20.

Merrick mom: ‘There’s no safe school, no safe age’

Lisa Schmidt, of Merrick, lost her son Joseph to an opioid overdose four years ago when he was 20. She shared her story during a Aug. 24 news conference in Mineola, at which County Executive Ed Mangano presented the most recent data on opioid overdose deaths in Nassau. more

By Brian Stieglitz | 8/31/17

Three nabbed for allegedly breaking into three pharmacies

Three people were arrested on Tuesday in connection with a string of pharmacy burglaries, including one in North Merrick. more

By Erik Hawkins | 8/23/17