The community’s drug problems should be fought by helping heroin addicts through rehab facilities and preventing the use of the opioid as an illegal narcotic.

Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, was asked this week by The Post-Journal about Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick’s proposal to host the nation’s first supervised injection facility, enabling heroin users to shoot illegal drugs into their bodies under the care of a nurse without getting arrested by police. Myrick formally presented his proposal Wednesday, asking for the state Health Department to declare the heroin epidemic a state health crisis, which he said would enable Ithaca to proceed without involving the state Legislature. Myrick said the supervised injection facility would combat soaring overdoses.

Teresi said he cannot comment on Myrick’s plan because he doesn’t know all the details. He said that it is always a good idea to bring forth new ideas for discussion, but he doesn’t think state officials will allow the proposal – known as the ”Ithaca Plan” – to happen any time soon.

Instead of focusing attention on a supervised injection facility, Teresi said city officials will continue to fight drug dealers from distributing their illegal narcotics in the community and to educate people about the dangers accompanied with opioid addiction.

”We need to focus on the drug dealers … pinch off the supply,” Teresi said. ”We need to deal with the demand side of the equation, get counseling, education and outpatient and inpatient facilities in place in this community. When I’m talking about this community, I mean greater Jamestown and Chautauqua County. (We should) focus our efforts on improved enforcement to deal with the supply and help the users get the education and facilities they need. That is where our energy needs to be.”

Last month, Teresi presented his State of the City report to Jamestown City Council. One of the initiatives in the mayor’s report is the ongoing battle between the Jamestown Police Department and illegal narcotics. Teresi said in conjunction with the state, county and a coalition of health care providers in the region, local officials continue to pursue the development of both residential and comprehensive outpatient treatment facilities for those battling heroin and other opioid addictions.

Slated to start this year is an incoming supportive housing center at WCA Hospital’s Jones Memorial Health Center. The facility will feature 25 beds for those enrolled in a 90-day rehabilitation program. Managed by Southern Tier Environments for Living, the facility was aided by a $350,000 capital grant that was added to the state budget to back a supportive housing program in the county. Even with this funding, local officials are still in the process of acquiring operational funding.

Local officials are also working to receive funding from a new proposal announced last month by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The governor said there will be $2 million in funding to support 50 new residential treatment beds for Upstate New York. These new beds, he said, will either go to one 50-bed site or two 25-bed sites. Providers in the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes region or Western New York are eligible to apply.

Starting in 2015, the Release Under Supervision pilot program was started and grants individuals who are deemed eligible for the Jamestown City Treatment Court an early release from jail. The program places the individuals under the supervision of a probation officer and a recovery coach at the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County.