A Rochester man who has been charged in connection with the death of Melissa Autobee, who died in his East Avenue apartment of a heroin overdose last year, has pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

Daniel Brodzinski was charged with felony tampering with physical evidence in Autobee’s death. Police stated that the medical evidence could not support more serious charges.

Police reports say that Brodzinski met Autobee through an online ad. He told authorities that she began gasping for breath when she was shooting up; he then laid her on the floor, hoping it would pass. When he saw that she wasn’t breathing, he called 911 after getting rid of the heroin wrappers.

Autobee was declared brain dead at the hospital. Her family believes that if Brodzinski had called 911 more promptly, she would have lived.

Indeed, the death rate from opioid and heroin related causes is a state-wide issue, and many New York Senators and Representative are calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to aid in stopping the addiction epidemic.

In the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, deaths from opioids have risen by over 550%, from nine deaths in 2009, to 59 deaths in 2013, says recent data from the New York State Department of Health.

While young people, aged 15 to 24, are notably more likely to experience substance abuse issues than any other groups, more and more are being hooked by an initial pain medication prescription.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has introduced the bill Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act, and New York State Representative Louise Slaughter plans to introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

For Autobee’s mother, Michele Schneider, this legislation is long overdue. Schneider says that her daughter started taking opioid pain medication after surgery for endometriosis, and had been fighting addition for two years.

Of her day in court, Schneider said, “It took a long time, I didn’t think anyone was listening. I didn’t think anybody in Rochester, New York, cared because she was quote ‘a junkie,’ but she wasn’t a junkie. That just really bothers me and the stigma of heroin addiction needs to be different because it’s coming from a prescription and it was hard, it was really hard.”

The new bill that Gillibrand is working on pushing through would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue strict guidelines for the prescribing of opioids for acute pain — currently, there are only guidelines in place for chronic pain.

“The system needs to change because what they’re doing out there isn’t helping these people,” Schneider said.