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• EDITOR'S NOTE: Pennsylvania is at the epicenter of the most lethal drug epidemic in history. Here is one in a series of articles periodically published by state journalists that focus on community support, awareness, care and prevention. KITTANNING – A significant decrease in overdose death rates this year in Armstrong County has drawn the attention of US Senator Pat Toomey, who recently led a roundtable on the epidemic. heroin and opioids in this borough.
Toomey He met with the County Council of Commissioners as well as First Responders, Drug Commission Chiefs and other officials.
The Republican senator cited "overcrowding" of opioid drugs as the main source of nutrition for the opioid epidemic during his roundtable. Toomey said he wanted to have an opportunity to discuss ways to fight the opioid epidemic while listening to local efforts that could have a correlation with the decrease in overdose deaths.
Armstrong County has registered 41 overdose deaths in 2016 and 2017, according to Kami Anderson, executive director of the company. Director of the Commission on Drugs and Alcohol Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion
Meanwhile, the county has reported a total of only three overdose-related deaths to date for 2018.
The Situation is similar in Indiana County, where the county coroner Jerry Overman Jr. has reported 11 deaths OD so far this year, compared to 40 last year and 53 in 2016. Among these is 11, eight involved opioid heroin or fentanyl or both.
Overman attributes the drop primarily to the increased use of Narcan, a medication that reverses the effects of an overdose. But he also attributes law enforcement to help get street drugs out, in addition to better access to treatment and heightened awareness of the problem in general.
"It is true that a decrease in overdose deaths has been observed in Armstrong, Indiana and Clarion (counties), so this is clearly not the national trend or the number of deaths." 39 "state," said Toomey. "The current big trends are good, much worse, things are really accelerating, if you've turned that into something, then it's a very big deal."
Anderson explained recent actions taken by the commission Anti-Drug Program to Fight the Epidemic, Including Narcan's Emergency Staff Supply, and Transfer Program. "
This program offers consultations and resources from certified recovery specialists to assist addicts to undergo treatment, sometimes directly following an overdose of a hospital.
"We have distributed nearly 4,000 (Narcan) kits in the county," Anderson said. "From the paperwork we have done, this has attributed to over 400 saved lives that have been reported."
She said that the drug commission also worked with local law enforcement and emergency agencies to educate them on how to help addicts to get into treatment .
Toomey questioned participants about whether Narcan's availability is perceived by drug addicts as a "safety net" to prevent death.
Mike Krafik, a drug recovery specialist, responded that a person in active addiction probably did not think in these terms.
"Everyone thinks it's an overdose. something that can not happen to them, "said Krafik. "People overdose in public car parks because it's probably there that they take the drugs, and they want to use them as soon as they get them." They know that Narcan would send them back immediately. They are not looking for a bailout with Narcan.
Armstrong District Attorney Katie Charlton spoke to participants at the roundtable, saying the fight against the epidemic could be "difficult" to provide Resource. [traduction] "My law enforcement officers have these links with the drug commission so that they know where to find resources and help for drug addicts," said Mr. Charlton. "Everyone has worked hard to get the message out of the stigma and for Narcan, but we still get frustrated, my agents are frustrated, but it's because they're local people who care of the community.This is what makes them do what is necessary to tackle the problem. "
Charlton also explained the county's mission of being" more aggressive in pursuing the drug traffickers in the county, "citing the fact that they doubled the number of
In recognition of the decrease in the number of overdose deaths, Toomey expressed interest in the analysis of proactive measures and programs implemented that could have contributed to such a decline.
Well, but before it's statistically valid, it must continue for a while, "Toomey said.
Erick Lauber, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said he was involved in research with the Institute for Research and Training for Behavioral Health Institute to determine exactly that.
"To really prevent the harm that any substance abuse causes, we need a strategy that addresses the most fundamental problem – that our citizens are putting psychotropic substances into their bodies in order to feel a certain way, "said Lauber. "I fear that even if we can overcome this particular opioid crisis in the years to come, we may have to come up with something more insidious and more widespread in future generations."
Levan contributed to this report.
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