Apr 27, 2014 4 min read

I’ve been employed at the Herald-Standard for about two months shy of 33 years. During that time as both an editor and a reporter, I’ve been involved in countless stories about the drug problem here in Fayette County. To tell you the truth, I pretty much thought I had a good understanding of it.

But then I attended a forum on prescription drug abuse Thursday night at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and I realized just how little I really know about the problem.

The forum, sponsored by the Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission (FCDAC), was very educational. On the one hand, I came away with an increased awareness of the extent of the problem, and the challenges we face in solving it.

But, on the other hand, I came away with a great respect for those who are in the trenches battling this problem on a daily basis and a sense of optimism that, with these folks on our side, we can win this battle.

Overall, the forum was probably the best one that I’ve ever attended, and I’ve been to countless events like it over the years. Everything about the forum was outstanding. The panelists were all great. They were full of both knowledge and passion in trying to find ways of dealing with the problem.

The keynote speaker was Gary Tennis, secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs for Pennsylvania, who drove in from Harrisburg special to attend the forum. Other speakers included Fayette County District Attorney Jack Heneks, Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip Reilly, Fayette County Drug Taskforce member Steve Kontaxes, attorney Jack Purcell, pharmacist Walt Lizza, Elaine Stano, FCDAC treatment specialist; Dr. Robert Woolhandler, medical director for the FCDAC; and two recovering addicts, Bill Addis and Brendan Rooney.

The forum also drew a large crowd as it nearly filled Swimmer Hall to capacity, certainly a sign of how the problem is viewed by the community. Members of the audience offered a mix of interesting comments and questions. Two women told poignant stories about how their sons died from drug overdoses, and how they are involved now in treatment, trying to spare others from the heartbreak they’ve endured.

There’s no way I can relay all the information presented at the forum in this column. In case you somehow missed it, please read staff writer Diana Lasko’s excellent story about the forum on the front page of the paper.

But the one point that really hit home with me was Tennis’ statement that treatment not incarceration was the best way to try and solve this problem. And that’s coming from someone who worked in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office for 26 years. So, he knows what he’s talking about.

He said it’s also time for people to realize that drug addiction is a disease and shouldn’t be treated as a moral issue. He said drug addicts aren’t bad people, and they shouldn’t be stigmatized for their problems.

Furthermore, he pointed out, if drug addicts can be treated and rehabilitated, the crime rate could be cut dramatically, resulting in much lower taxpayer money to operate our prison system.

Heneks agreed, noting his office does try to provide treatment for drug offenders who sincerely want it. The problem as he sees it is trying to get treatment for addicts before they become criminals. Once they cross that line, he noted, it becomes a much more complicated problem to deal with.

Overall, we owe a debt of gratitude to the FCDA for sponsoring the forum, Penn State Fayette for holding the event, and the panelists and everyone who attended it.

We, here at the Herald-Standard are also trying to do our part in shedding light on this complex problem. We’ve been doing a series of stories on the problem, and everyone involved has been doing a great job. If you have any suggestions for any ideas you’d like to see us explore please give me a call at 724-439-7569.

There’s no doubt that the current drug problem is probably as bad it has ever ever been here. But there’s certainly some reasons for optimism with all the great people we have here working on it. Together, we can do anything, including winning this fight.

Mark O’Keefe is the editorial page editor for the Herald-Standard. He can be reached by email at mokeefe@heraldstandard.com or by regular mail at 8 Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401.