For Legislators

Watch our 9/25 CAPITOL event

On Tuesday, September 25 at 4 pm in the Ryan Office Building Rotunda, state officials and legislators joined Pennsylvania Public Media for a preview of the Battling Opioids documentary and an introduction to the people behind and in front of the camera–as well as updates on legislative and state efforts to combat the opioid crisis. You can watch the event here. The event featured the following speakers:

Kathleen Pavelko, President and CEO, WITF
PA State Representative Warren Kampf, Co-Chair, Pennsylvania Public Television Caucus
PA State Senator Gene Yaw, PA HOPE (Heroin, Opioid Prevention and Education) Caucus
PA State Representative Doyle Heffley, House Opioid Addictions Task Force
Ray Barishansky, Pennsylvania Department of Health Deputy Secretary; Incident Commander, Opioid Operational Command Center
Tom Currá, President and CEO, WVIA Public Media
Beth Thies, mother of Chris Wall, who died of an opioid overdose
Alexis Johnson, bodybuilder, model and advocate, in recovery from opioid use disorder
Don Tollefson, former sportscaster, in recovery from opioid use disorder

Kathleen Pavelko 2 — Kathleen Pavelko, President and CEO of WITF.

Tom Currá and Don Tollefson — Tom Currá, President and CEO of WVIA Public Media, speaks with Don Tollefson, former sportscaster, and other event attendees

Kathleen Pavelko, President and CEO of WITF in Harrisburg, speaks with State Reps Warren Kampf and Doyle Heffley, and other attendees.

PA State Rep. Warren Kampf, co-chair of the Pennsylvania Public Television Caucus, introduces the Battling Opioids project.

State Senator Gene Yaw discusses the PA-HOPE (Heroin, Opioid Prevention & Education) Caucus.

PA State Rep. Doyle Heffley — PA State Representative Doyle Heffley, of the House Opioid Addictions Task Force.

Ray Barishansky, Pennsylvania Department of Health Deputy Secretary and Incident Commander, Opioid Operational Command Center, discusses how state agencies are coordinating to address the opioid crisis.

Tom Currá, President and CEO of WVIA Public Media.

Battling Opioids preview — Alexis Johnson (left) watches as her story plays on screen as part of the preview of Battling Opioids (Part 1).

Beth Thies, mother of Chris Wall, who died of an opioid overdose, discusses how gaps in addiction care must be closed to prevent opioid deaths.

Alexis Johnson–bodybuilder, model, and inspirational speaker–talks about her recovery process and advocacy.

Don Tollefson, former Philadelphia sportscaster who now acts as a street-based minister to people with addiction, speaks about what people in recovery need.

Alexis Johnson and Beth Thies — Alexis Johnson (right) and Beth Thies (left) embrace after the Battling Opioids preview.

Watch the Event on YouTube

Attend, HOST or share a conversation in your district

Find or host Battling Opioids events and community conversations, and encourage your constituents to attend.

Communicate with your constituents

Follow and share @BattlingOpioids stories, resources, and events.

Share the state’s helpline, 1-800-662-HELP and encourage constituents to visit www.pa.gov/guides/opioid-epidemic for more information.

Find, share and connect with your Single County Authority in charge of opioid response https://apps.ddap.pa.gov/gethelpnow/CountyServices.aspx

Share our stories with your constituents on social media or on your website.

Share the Latest Opioid Facts and Statistics

5,456

Share On Twitter

Pennsylvania has one of the highest opioid overdose death rates in the nation, with 5,456 deaths in 2017. That’s more than 14 people per day.

4x

Share On Twitter

In 2016, approximately 4x as many Pennsylvanians died of opioid overdose as died in motor vehicle accidents.

2,799

Share On Twitter

Between January 01, 2018 and June 8, 2019, more than 2,799 babies were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in Pennsylvania.

$53

BILLION

Share On Twitter

In 2016, the opioid crisis cost Pennsylvania $53 billion in lost work, lost lives, and medical costs.

23,707

Share On Twitter

Pennsylvania’s Get Help Now hotline, 1-800-662-HELP, received 23,707 calls between January 01, 2018 and June 8, 2019.

17,689

Share On Twitter

Between January 10, 2018 and February 22, 2019, PA emergency medical responders provided more than 17,689 doses of naloxone to people experiencing opioid overdose.

Pennsylvania has one of the highest
rates of overdose deaths in the nation.

ADAMS COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2019

ALLEGHENY COUNTY

4102

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2008-2019

BEAVER COUNTY

358

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2012-2019

BERKS COUNTY

461

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2019

BUCKS COUNTY

730

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

BUTLER COUNTY

375

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2011-2019

CENTRE COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2019

CHESTER COUNTY

490

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2019

CLARION COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2006-2018

CLINTON COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

CRAWFORD COUNTY

107

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

229

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

DAUPHIN COUNTY

425

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2019

FAYETTE COUNTY

301

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2012-2019

FRANKLIN COUNTY

133

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

FULTON COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

HUNTINGDON COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

INDIANA COUNTY

286

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2008-2019

JEFFERSON COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2018

LACKAWANNA COUNTY

376

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2018

LANCASTER COUNTY

494

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2019

LAWRENCE COUNTY

169

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2019

LEHIGH COUNTY

620

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

LUZERNE COUNTY

582

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2018

LYCOMING COUNTY

129

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2019

MERCER COUNTY

153

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2019

MONROE COUNTY

264

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2013-2018

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

315

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

889

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2018

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

206

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

SOMERSET COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2018

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2010-2018

UNION COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2014-2019

WAYNE COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

WEST MORELAND COUNTY

1077

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2009-2019

WYOMING COUNTY

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2018

YORK COUNTY

615

OVERDOSE DEATHS IN 2015-2019

Enter your email below to get updates.

RESOURCES

FOR TREATMENT HELP

FOR LEGISLATORS

FOR MEDIA

For Legislators

Watch our 9/25 CAPITOL event

Watch the Event on YouTube

Attend, HOST or share a conversation in your district

Communicate with your constituents

Share the Latest Opioid Facts and Statistics

5,456

4x

2,799

$53

BILLION

23,707

17,689

Pennsylvania has one of the highest
rates of overdose deaths in the nation.

Enter your email below to get updates.

RESOURCES

FOR TREATMENT HELP

FOR LEGISLATORS

FOR MEDIA

For Legislators

Watch our 9/25 CAPITOL event

Watch the Event on YouTube

Attend, HOST or share a conversation in your district

Communicate with your constituents

Share the Latest Opioid Facts and Statistics

5,456

4x

2,799

$53

BILLION

23,707

17,689

Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of overdose deaths in the nation.

Enter your email below to get updates.

Pennsylvania has one of the highest
rates of overdose deaths in the nation.