Penn. Officials Discuss Measures to Tackle Opioid Crisis

Schuylkill County fared worse, with a 320 percent increase for the same years, according to statistics presented at a Thursday evening forum on heroin and opioid use.

"There's no question that this is an epidemic," said U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, who co-hosted the panel discussion at Hazleton Area High School with state Sen. John Yudichak, D-14, Plymouth Twp., and state Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-116, Butler Twp.

The forum attracted about 70 attendees who listened to lawmakers and officials who deal with the drug epidemic on a daily basis.

All agreed that combatting the problem will take a combined effort on federal, state and local levels.

Barletta, who organized two previous forums, said a baby is born addicted to opioids every 25 minutes.

"Think about this: their first breath of life here on earth is as an addict," he said.

And, Barletta noted, 91 Americans die each day from heroin or opioid overdoses.

"When you run through the numbers, you must remember that these are not just statistics. They're families broken by addiction," Yudichak added.

Yudichak said the number of annual overdoses in Luzerne County is four times more than the number of overdoses reported in New York City.

"This is not a distinction you want to have," he said.

Toohil said addicts often lose their jobs, their homes, and their families. Studies show that many turn to heroin when their doctors pull them off prescription pain medications.

"Heroin is cheap and accessible," she said.

Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said overdoses surged over the past few years. In 2016, she said, 141 Luzerne County deaths were attributed to it. The previous year, there were 95 such deaths.

"We need to do more together. We can't arrest our way out of this. We need to provide more treatment and more programs for these addicts," she said.

She also said the district attorney's office is hoping to work with law enforcement and school districts to bring educational programs to young students.

"We can't start at the high school level. We need to start much younger," she said.

John Knowles of Clearbook Treatment Centers said 70 percent of those seeking treatment are addicted to opioids. Just three years ago, he said, the number was at 56 percent.

Heroin has become what he called "the drug of choice."

Knowles said that those who have lost everything to their addiction often wait weeks to be admitted to a drug treatment program.

"(For them), securing a bed in a treatment center is akin to winning the lottery," he said.

As a result, many never receive treatment.

Dr. Mary Pascucci has been performing autopsies for more than 20 years. When she started, she said, overdoses were usually linked to cocaine and amphetamines.

"When I had the first heroin death, it surprised me," she said. Now, she said, the drugs are the leading cause of accidental death for those 12 and older.

According to Pascucci, a survey of heroin users found that 80 percent started using the drug after they were no longer able to obtain prescriptions from their doctors.

Barletta said other addictions start at home.

"Oftentimes and unfortunately, your kid's first drug dealer is your medicine cabinet," he said.

Panelists encouraged the proper disposal of unused or expired prescriptions. Hazleton Police Department, for example, has a drug drop box.

Hazleton Police Chief Jerry Speziale said that during his nearly 40 years in law enforcement, the heroin problem has proved to be one of the most difficult to tackle.

And while the drug Narcan has been used by police and emergency responders to "save" overdose patients, he said it won't help those who have used heroin derivatives.

Heroin, he said, has a "tenacious grasp" on the entire community.

"No one is immune. Heroin took my brother-in-law. It also took my first cousin," he said.

Barletta has organized similar forums in Harrisburg and Shippensburg and intends to schedule more across the district.

Contact the writer: jwhalen@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3592

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