Chesco Drug And Alcohol Team Still Combatting Opioids

WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County's Department of Drug and Alcohol Services (CCDDAS) is bringing county residents ways to address opioid issues and to help prevent overdoses here.

The county said CCDDAS recognizes the continuing impact of COVID-19 on our communities; the opioid and overdose crisis is still extremely prevalent and substance use disorders are ongoing. In some ways, the crisis is exacerbated by the pandemic, the CCDDAS said in a new release Thursday.

"In order to decrease first-time misuse of prescription drugs, it is crucial to begin with prevention efforts," said Vince Brown, Director of the Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services.

"In addition to education and awareness, prescription drug misuse prevention includes locking up or monitoring prescription medications that are in the home, and disposing of any unneeded or expired prescription medications at a medication collection box," Brown added.

The CCDDAS explained prescription painkillers such as Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Morphine, among others, are in the opioid classification of prescription drugs. Opioid prescription drugs essentially have the same chemical make-up as heroin, which means they affect the brain and body the same.

"Opioid prescription drugs have had a large hand in the opioid and heroin epidemic which our county, as well as our country, is currently facing," the news release said.

Chester County's Department of Drug and Alcohol Services continues efforts to prevent further Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) and accidental overdose death, with several community events in April.

• Mobile Medication Collection will be hosted by Tredyffrin Police Department on April 9 at Surrey Services, 60 Surrey Way, in Devon, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Citizens are invited to dispose of unneeded or expired medications.
• Virtual Opioid Epidemic and Narcan Training will be hosted by Chester County Hospital on April 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. Training will teach the use of naloxone and participants will receive a dose of naloxone at no charge. Registration is required for the training.
• Mobile Medication Collection is hosted by Chester County Hospital and the Chester County Sheriff's Office on April 22, from 4:30-7:00 p.m. at the Chester County Hospital South Campus, 701 E Marshall Street, in West Chester. Citizens are invited to dispose of unneeded or expired medications.
• Mobile Medication Collection will be hosted by Tredyffrin Police Department on April 23 at Surrey Services, 60 Surrey Way, Devon, from 11:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. Citizens are invited to dispose of unneeded or expired medications.
• National DEA Drug Take-Back Day hosted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with temporary prescription drug disposal sites set up throughout Chester County.

All event details and registrations can be found on www.chesco.org/drugandalcohol. Residents are asked to please wear a mask and practice social distancing at all locations.

In 2019, 104 deaths were attributed to opioids; 51 deaths were recorded in 2020 from January to May, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

A civil lawsuit filed in July 2020 claimed the 101 million prescription opioids that flooded into Chester County between 2006 and 2014 caused irreparable damage to county individuals and communities. The 20 companies named could pay restoration for the alleged ravages of excessive opioid sales in Chester County, if the suit is successful. The Chester County DA seeks up to $3,000 per violation in civil penalties.

According to data from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, over 101 million prescription opioids were shipped to Chester County between 2006 and 2014. The county's population of 525,000 residents meant that was enough, during this eight-year period, to supply every person in Chester County with dozens of opioid pills.

Subsequently, Chester County's deaths from opioids more than doubled between 2015, when there were 68 deaths, and 2017 when overdose deaths topped 144.

Read more about Chester County's lawsuit against opioid manufacturers here.

The CCDDAS continues efforts to help those struggling with opioid us in Chester County. "If you, or a loved one, are struggling with drugs or alcohol, help is available. Drug and alcohol treatment and support services, which include 12-step meetings and other supports, have, and will continue to be available through the pandemic."

Regardless of whether a person has insurance, drug and alcohol treatment services are available in Chester County. Accessing the services is dependent upon individual coverage. People who have insurance, including Medicaid, should call the number listed on the back of their insurance card to get information on how to access drug and alcohol services, said CCDDAS.
Those who do not have insurance can call one of the following agencies, nearest them, for help:

• Gaudenzia Coatesville(Coatesville) 610-383-9600
• Mirmont Outpatient (Exton) 484-565-1130
• Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems (Kennett Square) 610-388-9225
• Creative Health Services (Phoenixville) 610-933-1223
• Gaudenzia West Chester(West Chester) 610-429-1414

In addition to drug and alcohol treatment, other recovery supports and human services are also still available. The Chester County Human Services COVID-19 Resource Guide can be found here.
To access the Chester County Overdose Prevention Task Force website, go here.