One year after forming, the Cambria County Drug Coalition is noticing positive change.

First responders in Johnstown and emergency room doctors at Conemaugh Hospital said they’ve noticed the change too. Over the past couple of months, they said fewer people have needed treatment for drug overdoses.

The executive director of the coalition, Ronna Yablonski, said the difference is not just luck.

“It’s when people combine their efforts, collaborative efforts, comprehensive solutions. People coming together rallying around the topic and saying, ‘What can we do about it?'” Yablonski said. 

Coalition members said the progress they’ve noticed is thanks to a collaborative effort between law enforcement, healthcare workers and prevention and education specialists. Simply put: more people are getting involved and working together.

“When everybody does a little, the results are big,” Yablonski said.

More schools across the county are educating students on the dangers of drugs. Prevention programs are also expanding within schools, reaching younger children.

“Basically developing healthy human beings so that by the time they get to the stage where they’re being faced with these difficult decisions, they have all of those skills to say no,” said Kate Porter, the CTC Mobilizer and Prevention Program Specialist for the coalition.

Law enforcement officials are also working together.

“For the first time ever in the history of the county, I understand, we have cohesive law enforcement meetings. Chief of police meetings where 40 plus police departments are coming together in common goals with common direction,” said Yablonski.

Coalition members will hold their second public meeting in November to update the community about the progress the county has made.

For more information on the Cambria County Drug Coalition, you can visit their website or call 814-619-4505.