Opioid crisis Senior citizens listen to facts related to drug scourge

Approximately 110 local seniors attended a lecture Wednesday on the current opioid crisis in Pennsylvania, the dangers of the drugs, and how they can help combat the issue.

The two-hour annual senior workshop, sponsored by PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources, brought in multiple speakers to discuss the state of the crisis, what legislation is in effect and pending to tackle the epidemic, and how seniors can do their part to prevent the crisis from expanding.

The lecture took place at Whispering Pines banquet hall at Penn Forest Fire Company No. 1 in Penn Forest Township.

"There are no easy answers," said District Attorney Jean Engler, who spoke at the presentation.

Engler says in her nearly 29 years working with the District Attorney's office she has seen "tremendous change" in society.

Engler says she has seen people of all economic strata affected, as well as all ages and all races fall victim to the opioid epidemic. She says that not only have possession and dealing crimes increased, but other crimes such as burglaries, robberies, thefts, abuse and neglect have risen due to their link to drug abuse.

According to Engler, Carbon County saw 18 overdose deaths in 2016. This year already, she says, 10 deaths have been confirmed to be the results of drug overdoses, and six cases are awaiting autopsy toxicology reports that are suspected to be overdoses.

"Already we're almost halfway there."

Engler says in speaking with the county coroner recently, she heard of a 70-year-old who suffered an overdose.

Attendees also heard from Jean Papay, a representative from state Rep. Doyle Heffley's office. Papay spoke about Pennsylvania's statistics about the crisis, as well as provided a legislative update.

She said that the commonwealth leads the nation in drug overdoses in men ages 12 to 25 and is ninth in the nation for general population. Papay also mentioned that the number of opioid deaths in Pennsylvania made the crisis more deadly than firearms and auto accidents combined.

"The number of deaths in 2015 is a 30 percent increase over 2014, which represents the largest in a decade," Papay said.

"On average, in Pennsylvania, 10 people die every day from drug poisoning, and that number is probably low given the gaps in reporting."

Papay said that the state Legislature has four areas of focus in the strategy to battle drug issues. These cover systems such as patient review, restriction programs and treatment options, using technology meant to deter medication abuse, trying new methods of pain treatment, and public education campaigns about opioids and abuse.

Papay also discussed bills in the Legislature aimed at combating opioid abuse.

Jonah Talbott from Monroe-Carbon-Pike Drug and Alcohol also spoke on how seniors can help combat the drug crisis by calling drug activity tiplines, talking to doctors and pharmacists about their own health care, and how to spot addictions or suspicious behavior in others.