Cairn University in Langhorne Manor hosted an overdose prevention town hall panel on Wednesday night, where eight experts on the subject answered the crowd’s questions and discussed the problem at length.
The panel, sponsored by the Lower Bucks Addiction Task Force (LBATF), included District Attorney Matt Weintraub, State Representative Gene DiGirolamo, Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc. executive director Diane Rosati, Bensalem Director of Public Safety Fred Harran, Gaudenzia Recovery Center CEO Mike Harle, Christian Life Prison and Recovery Ministries Bob Sofronski, Bucks County Recovery House Association President Bryan Kennedy and EMS Medical Director Dr. Kenneth Lavelle. The panel was moderated by judge Rea Boylan of the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
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“This problem can’t be solved by the court system,” said Boylan at the start of the panel. “This is a monster with many tentacles,” she went on to say, stressing the unity the communities of Lower Bucks County will need to exhibit in order to curb addiction and overdoses in the communities.
Weintraub began the panel by giving the audience an update on the status of getting Narcan to police officers throughout the county. Weintraub said that Bucks County had a 100 percent coverage in terms of police with Narcan, with Newtown Borough being the latest department to add it. Later, Rosati would mention that every school district in the county has Narcan available should the need arise.
Panelists spoke on the importance of getting rid of the prescription drugs that they no longer need.
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“Tonight, everyone can go home and empty your medicine cabinets,” Rosati said to the crowd, which cheered at the information that Bucks County has disposed of 80,000 pounds of prescription medicines through the medicine disposal box program.
The rest of the panel focused on doctors paying closer attention to their prescriptions, recovery homes being responsible and getting those suffering from addiction the help they need.
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“It’s appalling that we let them get away with this,” DiGiolamo said, referring to drug companies selling narcotics.
Speakers also took opportunity to talk about how addiction might start.
“Life sucks, life is hard,” Harran said. “You break up, people die, but a pill is not going to solve the problem.”
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“There is no magic solution,” said Harle. “There is no magic solution, and if someone tells you they have a magic solution, you should probably turn them in.”
By the end, panelists were encouraging members of the audience to reach out to their local elected officials to urge legislation to get people into recovery instead of jail cells.
