Daniel Zuckerman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media on the Greene County Public Health Department's forum to discuss the continuing opioid epidemic sweeping the county. The program was held at the Heermance Memorial Library in Coxsackie on December 5. Senior Public Health Educator Jillian DiPerna said Greene County ranks second in the state in the number of heroin overdose deaths, third in the number of opioid overdose deaths and ninth in the number of hospital visits for opioid-related overdoses, statewide. Programs available in Columbia and Greene counties include the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team from the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties and the Chatham Cares 4 U program, which allows people struggling with addiction to surrender their drugs to the police and get placed in a recovery program without fear of arrest. In Greene County, the Medication Take Back program provides a way for people to drop off old or excess medication and used syringes at eight different kiosks located throughout the county. In 2016, 2,000 pounds of sharp waste, including hypodermic needles, were collected, DiPerna said. Law enforcement, school counselors and others who have been affected by the opioid epidemic attended the forum. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.