PARKER, Pa. (EYT) — Cities across this country are reeling from an epidemic of Heroin and other Opioid drugs. Even small cities in places like rural Western Pennsylvania are not immune to the growing crisis.
People in Parker, Pennsylvania, sometimes called the smallest city in America, are coming together to try to fight the epidemic. More than 100 people from Armstrong and Clarion counties packed the social hall at the Parker City Fire Hall Tuesday evening for what the organizers, Parker RAID, billed as a “Community Reality Check.” The meeting was an effort on the part of the Parker Chapter of “Residents Against Illicit Drugs” (RAID) to introduce the RAID organization to the community.
Parker RAID Chairperson Kimberly Palmer said that the meeting was intended to let area residents know that there are options available for people to get involved in helping to solve the Opioid epidemic.
First founded in 2015 by Apollo Mayor Jeff Held, the concept behind RAID is to use education as a tool in the prevention, treatment, and law enforcement in the fight against drugs in the communities. Mrs. Palmer, who is also on the Parker City Council, began organizing the Parker Chapter of RAID in December of 2016 and is greatly encouraged by the turnout at this kickoff event.
Local law enforcement officials presented sobering facts about the Opioid epidemic in Armstrong and Clarion counties and spoke to the need for community involvement through organizations like RAID. Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Adreassi opened the conversation by relating that 20 years ago, a drug bust of five stamp bags was considered a “big bust” and represented the amount of Heroin that the typical addict would use himself. He told the group that in today’s environment, it is not uncommon to arrest a user with a brick of Heroin, equivalent to 50 stamp bags, for personal use.
Mr. Andreassi made a statement that was confirmed by all of the other speakers, “We cannot arrest our way out of this. There is so much money to be made in the drug business that enforcement alone cannot control it.”
The DA went on to say that Opioid use is a trip with only two outcomes, “addiction or death.” Mr. Andreassi stressed that besides enforcement, there needs to be outreach, education, information, and treatment. He cautioned that many addicts require more than one round of treatment to finally beat the habit. Asking community residents to become the eyes and ears of law enforcement, Andreassi told the audience that they “need to shine a light on the drug dealers. They are cockroaches and will run away from the light.”
Armstrong County Sheriff Bill Rupert discussed the role of the community in assisting law enforcement in tracking down and arresting the dealers. Armstrong County has two toll-free hotlines that residents can use to report suspicious, drug related, activity. Both of the hotlines offer complete anonymity to callers. The sheriff pointed out that all information that residents provide helps police identify dealers.
Brian Myers, Armstrong County Coroner, discussed overdose death changes over the last few years. He said that in 2014, there were 17 overdose deaths in Armstrong County, most of which were caused by prescription drugs. In 2016, there were 41 overdose deaths in the county with 38 of them caused by Heroin and Fentanyl. Armstrong County has the sad distinction of having the second most drug-related deaths of all of the counties in Pennsylvania. The coroner went on to say that there have already been nine overdose deaths in the county this year, and almost all of them were caused by Fentanyl.
Cindy McRae from ARC Manor Addiction Recovery Center urged the audience to understand that only a very small percentage of drug abusers ever reach out for treatment, but that treatment does work.
The evening’s keynote address was by Jeff Held, Mayor of Apollo, Pa., and founder of RAID. Jeff recounted how he tried to establish a “citizens committee” to address the drug epidemic in his borough. No one turned out for his first meeting, but he continued with his efforts, and the Residents Against Illicit Drugs grew from there. The Parker City Chapter is the second RAID chapter. Mr. Held discussed the RAID concept which includes promoting healthy lifestyles, education, and support for those affected by drug abuse.
Working with the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission, RAID will be offering Narcan training and will be developing a “Certified Drug Recovery Specialist” training program.
Clarion County District Attorney Mark Aaron briefly spoke of resources needed to fight drug abuse. He said that an involved parent is the best resource for drug prevention. He went on to say that the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug Commission Narcan program is an excellent resource. Mr. Aaron pointed out the paucity of resources currently available in Clarion County. The county does not have a residential treatment facility and only has one part-time drug enforcement detective.
In a brief question and answer session after the speakers, one attendee asked if Narcan was covered by health insurances. Jeff Held explained that coverage for Narcan varied between insurance companies and that co-pays might run between $30.00 and $70.00. He went on to say that both the training and the Narcan through the AIC Drug Commission was provided free.
State Representative Donna Oberlander, who was in the audience, asked what parents should do if their young teen was exposed to Marijuana “dusted” with Fentanyl, which is a growing problem in the drug field. Cindy McRae from ARC Manor suggested that the teen be taken to a treatment center and that the problem was not actually the laced pot, but rather that the child was experimenting.
The last question of the session was whether a citizen administering Narcan to an overdose victim could be held liable for death or damage. Mr. Held informed the group that Narcan administration is specifically covered by Pennsylvania’s updated Good Samaritan law and that attempting to save a person with Narcan was protected.
There seemed to be significant interest among the audience for becoming involved with the Parker City RAID chapter and for forming a chapter in Clarion County. Parker City RAID Chairperson Kimberly Palmer hopes to have a Narcan training in the very near future as RAID’s next effort.
