Dec 21, 2016 3 min read

The mayor of Canonsburg and the superintendent of the Canon-McMillan School District were two of about two dozen people selected to attend the inaugural federal Drug Enforcement Agency Citizens’ Academy in the Pittsburgh region.

Mayor David Rhome and Michael Daniels, district superintendent, were selected to attend the five-week academy which had its origins almost a decade ago when nit was developed by the DEA Los Angeles Field Division. Through the academy, DEA leaders and specialists want to educate other community leaders about the work and mission of the agency in the fight against illegal drugs not only in the United States but around the world.

“We had the opportunity to educate ourselves about what the DEA really does,” Rhome said. “We were part of a diverse group that included pharmacists, elected officials, recovering addicts, researchers and therapists.”

Daniels said it was a good opportunity to engage with community leaders in the Pittsburgh area.

“We are getting the chance to get the word out as to how the DEA does business,” Daniels said. Rhome said they got the opportunity to see how the DEA works from top to bottom, including the crucial work the borough’s task force representative does in helping to support the agency’s efforts.

“The information he obtains is second to no one,” Rhome said.

Police Chief Al Coghill said the information obtained by the local liaison on the DEA is first-hand intelligence.

“It is real time, not a bulletin,” Coghill said.

Daniels said the DEA representatives shared information on the flow of heroin into the United States with about 90 percent coming from Mexico and the rest coming from Middle Eastern countries, such as Afghanistan.

“They have been able to identify the trail how it gets into the country from Texas and Los Angeles, up the northern routes to Western Pennsylvania and other hotbed areas,” Daniels said. “Then when it gets cut with Fentanyl, it could be fatal for the user.”

“The DEA wants to find where it is coming from and what is in it,” he added. “They want to help people get well, not arrest the little guy. They want to find the big guy and shut him off.”

Rhome said they were told there are an estimated 9.2 million heroin users in the United States.

“And they believe the drug abuse begins in the drug cabinet,” Rhome said.

Daniels said oxycodone is reportedly the most abused medication. He said a program that would look for abusers who try to shop around with various doctors to get the necessary prescriptions to support their habit has not yet been fully implemented.

“When someone is addicted to drugs, they don’t care about their own life or others,” Daniels said. “They need that fix so they can feel back to normal. Drug addiction is very real and very scary. It can touch anyone.”