OBSERVER REPORTER | BY DAWN GOODMAN | 5.12.17
The next step to fighting the opioid addiction exploding through Southwestern Pennsylvania is civic involvement, an assistant U.S. Attorney from Pittsburgh told a crowd gathered Wednesday night in Upper St. Clair to discuss the issue.
“The real frontier is finding civic solutions to help mentor and guide addicts,” said Conor Lamb, who prosecutes drug crimes for the Department of Justice’s Western District of Pennsylvania.
During his presentation at Upper St. Clair’s Boyce-Mayview Rec Center, which was organized by the township’s Youth Steering Committee, Lamb explained how this recent epidemic began and how his office is fighting it. In 2016, Allegheny County had 613 overdose deaths, up from 234 in 2008, he said.