Town Officials and Task Force Members announce purple flag initiative 

Huntington Town Officials were joined by elected officials and members of the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force at a press conference on August 30 to announce the return of “Huntington Goes Purple,” an initiative designed to raise awareness of the drug addiction crisis on Long Island and across the United States.

Approximately one million Americans have died of a drug- or alcohol-related overdose since 1999, with a 30% increase in overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020. Some of the most prominent barriers to recovery include social stigma toward addiction and a lack of access to treatment options.

As part of this initiative, the Town of Huntington will fly purple flags on the front lawn of Town Hall and on lamp posts along New York Avenue and Larkfield Road in observance of National Recovery Month, which was created in 1989 in order to destigmatize the disease of addiction, promote evidence-based treatment, and celebrate the tens of millions of Americans in recovery.

“Huntington Goes Purple” was started in 2021 by Huntington resident Sharon Richmond, a member of the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force who donated the first set of flags for the inaugural program. This year, the program has expanded to Larkfield Road in East Northport with the support of the Northport-East Northport Community Drug & Alcohol Task Force, on which Richmond serves as President.

“This initiative allows us to preserve the memories of those we lost to addiction and pay tribute to the amazing social workers, mental health care professionals, and nonprofit volunteers who work tirelessly to support individuals in recovery.  “I am honored to help bring back ‘Huntington Goes Purple’ for its third year,” said Councilwoman Cergol.  “But, it is now time for me to pass the torch to my colleague, Councilman Sal Ferro, who will be the new Town Board liaison to the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force.

Town Officials further announced a series of Recovery Month events to be held in the Town of Huntington, including:

• Wellness Walk for Recovery at Heckscher Park on September 9
• Interfaith Community Forum on September 20 at the at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington
• Celebration of Hope and Recovery at Old First Presbyterian Church on September 28

Following the announcements, Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds and Mary Silberstein, Co-Chairs of the Opioid & Addiction Task Force, spoke on the importance of educating the public on both the dangers of drugs and alcohol and where to locate treatment for substance use disorder.

Sharon Richmond closed the press conference by urging New York to follow the lead of the State of Illinois and mandate prevention and support education for all school age children.

“Together we show support for those individuals and families affected by mental health and substance use disorder,” she said. “Together we send the message: you are not alone.”

Individuals seeking support for substance use disorder are urged to call one of the following hotlines:

SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357 (or text your ZIP code to 435748)

LICADD: (516) 747-2606 | (631) 979-1700

OASAS: 1-877-846-7369