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LETTER: Epidemic within a pandemic

3 min read
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For decades, people battled addiction with a shadow cast over them as the treatment and recovery community made tremendous strides in bringing the disease into the light. They are some of the most courageous people that I have ever known. In 2018, the commonwealth saw an unprecedented 18% decrease in overdose deaths while battling the opioid epidemic, followed by an estimated 4% additional decrease in 2019.

Unfortunately, in early 2020, COVID-19 made its way across our borders and disrupted our lives. Working together, we’ve made great progress at tackling this new public health crisis. We flattened the curve before our hospital capacity peaked and now have been on a steady decline of new COVID-19 cases. We’ve increased our testing and contact tracing capabilities enough to identify and isolate cases of COVID-19 before community spread begins.

But as we conquer the physical illness, mental wellness continues to be a challenge in the face of this pandemic.

Anxiety. Boredom. Loneliness. These are all emotions that Pennsylvanians may be experiencing while we continue to face this pandemic. Those emotions, paired with hardships like job loss, food insecurities, and housing instabilities, have created the perfect storm for a potential increase in overdoses and the need for substance use disorder treatment.

At this time, it is critical that Pennsylvanians know the drug and alcohol system is still actively engaged. Providers are operational. Recovery groups are meeting both virtually and in person while practicing social distancing like remaining 6 feet apart, wearing masks, and asking participants to stay home if sick.

And equally important is instilling the hope that people overcome substance use disorder with the proper treatment every day by taking the first, brave step of asking for help.

Pennsylvania’s Get Help Now hotline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is available 24/7 – even during the pandemic – and is staffed by trained professionals, many of whom are people in recovery. These professionals directly connect callers to local treatment and resources for themselves or loved ones. Help is available regardless of your insurance coverage or financial situation.

In a world full of unknowns, there is one thing that remains certain – Pennsylvania will recover from this.

I know this to be true because the drug and alcohol community is a group that believes in recovery and resilience. This community has weathered many storms, epidemics, and crises together. And still, we are some of the lucky few who see recovery in action every day.

Jennifer Smith

Secretary, Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs

Harrisburg

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