Philip Seymour Hoffman's niece is paying tribute to the late actor by urging New York State to take action to help prevent overdoses.
Carolyn Delvecchio Hoffman, along with several other community members in Rochester, marked International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31 with a vigil, standing in solidarity with those who have been impacted by overdoses.
The group called on Governor Kathy Hochul to use executive action to create overdose prevention centers, which will serve as "health care settings where people can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained professionals, who can intervene if there is an overdose risk," according to News 10 NBC. The centers can also connect people to qualified addiction counselors.
Carolyn is hopeful that the new overdose prevention centers can save lives and she believes that one could have saved her uncle, who died from a drug overdose in 2014.
"I'm hoping to see a safe injection site in Monroe County," she shared with the outlet. "I know to people, sometimes that sounds like a new idea. But really, if my uncle had been using in a safe injection site, then he would still be here and he would have the chance to get sober again."
She added, "So, we would like to see folks be able to struggle in a way that is humane until they're ready to walk out of that struggle."
In Feb. 2014, Philip was found dead in his New York apartment, with the New York medical examiner ruling the Oscar-winning actor died of acute mixed drug intoxication, including cocaine, amphetamine, benzodiazepines and heroin.
Following his passing, his Hunger Games co-star Jennifer Lawrence, director Francis Lawrence and author Suzanne Collins released a joint statement paying tribute to the late actor. "Words cannot convey the devastating loss we are all feeling right now," the statement read. "Philip was a wonderful person and an exceptional talent, and our hearts are breaking. Our deepest thoughts and condolences go out to his family."