Beaver County News

Rep. Doyle Heffley and the House Republican Policy Committee, led by Chairman Josh Kail, held a hearing to address Pennsylvania's drug crisis. The session focused on the impact of fentanyl and xylazine and strategies to combat the epidemic.

The hearing, titled "A State Lost in Addiction: Pennsylvania’s Path to Recovery," included testimony from Dr. Michael Lynch of UPMC, Judge Steven T. O'Neill from Montgomery County's drug treatment court, Chris Pawlowski from Chester County's probation office, and Jessica Miraglia from Luzerne County's district attorney office.

Pennsylvania reported over 4,500 drug overdose deaths in 2023, translating to one death every two hours, according to the Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention.

Heffley emphasized the urgency of addressing this crisis: “The drug epidemic is fueling a historic public health crisis in Pennsylvania...there is an extraordinary amount of more work that needs to be done.” He highlighted the need for swift action by policymakers to reduce misuse and overdose deaths while supporting law enforcement efforts.

Kail noted the widespread impact across communities: “Every community in the Commonwealth is being affected by the worsening drug crisis...It is imperative we do everything to get these deadly, illicit drugs off our streets.”

For those interested in viewing the full hearing, it can be accessed at pagoppolicy.com/video/policy.