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Group to focus on opiate overdose epidemic

2 min read

The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania announced Thursday he has convened a group to develop and implement solutions to the region’s opiate overdose epidemic.

The working group on “Addiction: Prevention, Intervention, Treatment and Recovery” will bring together citizens, parents and those in recovery with physicians, providers and regional leaders to prevent opiate overdoses and deaths throughout Western Pennsylvania.

People who have direct experience with addiction and specialists in the fields of public health, law enforcement, human services, pharmacology, drug treatment and recovery will make up the group. The group had an initial meeting April 7.

“We cannot prosecute our way out of the problem of opioid addiction,” said U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton.

“We need to better address the demand side of the problem by being more attentive to and understanding of addiction, treatment and recovery.

“Opiate overdoses affect all age groups, all ethnic groups, men, women and children, and it is destroying lives and killing people,” he added. “We cannot wait another day to combat this scourge on our communities.”

The group will meet on a regular basis and is expected to issue interim recommendations within 60 to 90 days that will include an action plan for long-term reform.

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