HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania state officials are taking yet another step in the long fight to combat the opioid epidemic Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m.
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania will host a hearing on combatting the opioid epidemic; the hearing will be available to the public both in-person and online.
The hearing will include various presenters from state departments and the medical field including the Department of Health and Human Services in addition to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
"This hearing will help us learn more about the strategies being used to help communities combat this ongoing crisis and ensure that individuals battling substance use disorder, particularly those in our rural communities, are receiving the help and support they need," Republican State Senator Gene Yaw of the 23rd District said.
Senator Yaw, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, says the pandemic has worsened the number of opioid overdoses and drug-related deaths.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro will be in attendance and executives for the center say the attorney general's involvement in the $26 billion opioid settlement will be key in figuring out ways to save lives.
"With the attorney general's recent opioid settlement, those funds might be able to benefit communities for programming so that way they can address the needs on the ground in their own communities," Dr. Kyle Kopko, executive director for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania said.
Dr. Kopko has echoed Senator Yaw's sentiment of the pandemic in how it hasn't made it easy for some who must fight against this vice, especially those in rural communities.
"Folks weren't able to go to in-person treatment; maybe they didn't have great broadband access and they couldn't engage in teletherapy or any sort of online appointments with medical providers," he said. "This is an opportunity to get more information about the extent of the problem and what are some deliverables to address it.
According to the CDC, the rise in opioid deaths has been met across the nation in three waves. In the 1990s, with increased prescription opioids, in 2010 with rapid increases involving heroin, and in 2013, where overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids which included illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
The agency also says in a 20-year span from 1999 to 2019, nearly half a million people have died due to overdoses involving opioids.
The National Institute of Health has reported 65% of drug overdose deaths in 2018 in the Commonwealth involved opioids.
Wednesday's public hearing will be held at the Capitol Complex and registration is recommended. To register, click here.