Officials Gather To Discuss Efforts To Combat Growing Epidemic Of Heroin Abuse
By Kristen Johanson
UPPER DARBY, Pa., (CBS) -- Local, state and federal officials gathered in Delaware County Monday to discuss how to combat the growing number of people abusing heroin.
The meeting was held to figure out ways to fight heroin abuse plaguing our region.
It was organized by U.S. Representative Pat Meehan.
"The national statistics are alarming, 46,000 people a year now dying due to drug overdoses and heroin is a big aspect of it," said Meehan.
Along with the head of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, officials shared ideas of how to tackle the issue. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan started the county's heroin task force in 2012, and says it's an uphill battle.
"Our heroin death is up and that's very surprising, and also perplexing and we are going to continue to roll up our sleeves and work on it. We can only imagine how high this death rate would be, had we not been doing all the efforts," said Whelan.
The county was first in the state to use narcan, the powerful antidote to heroin overdoses.