Delco Officials Hope Program Will Be Puzzle Piece In Battle Against Heroin And Opioid Addiction
By Jim Melwert
SPRINGFIELD, Pa. (CBS) -- In about a year and a half, an anti-overdose drug has saved the lives of hundreds of people in Delaware County alone.
Now Delaware County officials are hoping a new program will be another puzzle piece in the battle against heroin and opioid addiction.
Since police were authorized to administer naloxone in 2014, they've saved the lives of 218 people. The question, says Delaware County Councilman David White, has been how to help those people after they're brought back.
"When someone is revived from an overdose, it's a life changing event for them and their families, and this is the time we need to connect with them with someone else."
Thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Delaware county has hired two trained certified recovery specialists who can work with patients, helping with everything from what programs are available to how to navigate insurance, and simply to provide hope.
White says there is no one answer to the problem, saying this is just one part of the puzzle to fight opioid addiction, along with law enforcement, education, and public outreach.
