Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino Jr. and county executive Robert Astorino announced Thursday that they will launch a joint task force to tackle the rise of opioid and heroin overdoses in the region.

Opioid fatalities in Westchester increased more than 200 percent from 2010 to 2015, according to the DA's Office.


Anthony Scarpino

“This epidemic is destroying too many of our young people and tearing families apart,” Scarpino said in a statement.