Coal Region News

Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) and the House Republican Policy Committee, led by Chairman Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), convened a hearing yesterday to discuss the drug epidemic, the effects of fentanyl and xylazine, and tactics being deployed to fight against the drug crisis in Pennsylvania.

The hearing, titled “A State Lost in Addiction: Pennsylvania’s Path to Recovery,” featured testifiers Dr. Michael Lynch, attending emergency physician and medical toxicologist at UPMC; Judge Steven T. O'Neill, presiding judge of drug treatment court in Montgomery County; Chris Pawlowski, chief probation, parole and pretrial officer in Chester County; and Jessica Miraglia, assistant district attorney in Luzerne County.

According to the Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention, Pennsylvania had over 4,500 drug overdose deaths in 2023, which equates to one death from a drug overdose approximately every two hours.

“The drug epidemic is fueling a historic public health crisis in Pennsylvania, and while this policy hearing is important for gathering data and learning about how communities are impacted, there is an extraordinary amount of more work that needs to be done,” said Heffley. “As policymakers, we must act quickly to combat the rapid rise in overuse, misuse and overdose deaths, and ensure our law enforcement officers have the tools and resources they need to diminish both supply and demand.”

“Every community in the Commonwealth is being affected by the worsening drug crisis. The rate at which people are tragically dying from overdoses is unacceptable,” said Kail. “It is imperative we do everything to get these deadly, illicit drugs off our streets while also allocating resources to support those sick and suffering.”

To watch the complete hearing, visit Representative Doyle Heffley's website.

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