A newly formed coalition, made up of mental health, medical and law enforcement professionals, is looking to knock down the number of overdose deaths in our region and they said community support is key.

“Drug overdose deaths have become the leading cause of injury death in the United States, surpassing the number of deaths by traffic accidents and or firearms since 2008,” Gene Lauri, Director of Criminal Justice Planning Department, said. 

The Centre County Coalition Against Overdoses formed at the end of 2015. They’ve made it their mission to fight the epidemic that’s killing Americans at a surprising rate.

Pennsylvania ranks 9th in the nation in drug overdose deaths. In 2014, there were nearly 2,500 deaths in the Commonwealth. While not the worst in the state, Centre County is not immune.

“Over half of the individuals who have contacted us and requested in patient treatment are specifically reporting heroin and opioids as their drug of choice,” Cathy Arbogast, Assistant Administrator for Drug and Alcohol Office, said. “That’s compared to 27% who are reporting alcohol as their drug of choice. For the last 15 years, alcohol was always – by far – the leading substance in this county.”

It’s a statistic Arbogast said is growing exponentially. Experts said 80 percent of those addicted to heroin get their start from prescription drugs.

“It’s not a crime to be an addict. This is just as much a public health problem,” Ferguson Township Police Chief Diane Conrad said. “There is still a lot of shame and stigma that a public awareness campaign could help with.”

The coalition wants to see the community involved. They want to hear from schools, families dealing with drug abuse first hand, and from faith-based organizations who may have other resources to help.