District Attorneys Combat Opioid Crisis with Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement

By Berks County District Attorney John Adams

August 31 marks international Overdose Awareness Day.  It is a time to pause and reflect on the lives lost to substance use disorder while recognizing the pain of families, friends, and communities left to grieve the loss of their loved ones.

District attorneys across the Commonwealth work tirelessly to combat the opioid crisis, putting needed resources toward prevention, treatment, and enforcement measures. This three-fold approach has undoubtedly saved lives.  Studies show that fatal overdoses have decreased since 2017. Yet, opioid overdoses still accounted for 58,065 emergency room visits in Pennsylvania between January 2018 and January 2024.

Investigating, arresting, and prosecuting street dealers who distribute highly potent and often deadly substances like fentanyl are only part of my office’s strategy to combat the problem. It requires collaboration with health care providers and other county agencies to ensure drug dependent people can easily access needed treatment and counseling. It also means working in schools and in the community to support prevention programs to keep people from going down this path.

An opportune time for intervention occurs when an individual is lucky enough to survive an overdose. Prosecutors and police routinely use “warm handoff” procedures where law enforcement, first responders, and medical personnel have frank conversations with survivors, encourage them to seek treatment. They stand ready with resources to refer them for evaluations and treatment services when they are willing to participate.

It is often said that prosecutors wear many hats. Consoling families at the time of an overdose death while trying to provide answers about their loved one’s last moments is emotional.  Seeing the pain they endure as they grieve is unforgettable. That is why diverting drug dependent people to rehabilitation services makes sense: It saves lives. That is also why we must keep aggressively pursuing drug dealers who violate the law and contribute to the high number of overdoses and unfortunate deaths that result.

It is all about saving lives – lives that are worth fighting for.  Lives, when lost, impact the family left behind and the communities that mourn them.

If someone is in imminent danger of overdose, call 911. If you or someone you care about needs help with substance use disorder, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit the Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Programs website to find treatment options.

###

John Adams is the district attorney of Berks County, PA, and the chairman of the Communications Committee of  the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association.