(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services, Caption for Photo: The Pennsylvania department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones joins Aging (PDA) Secretary Jason Kavulich in Lawrence County at Challenges: Options in Aging to launch the Shapiro Administration’s new initiative to help lower overdose rates among older adults in Pennsylvania – a priority population for both agencies. The initiative, an evidence-based substance use prevention and wellness program called Wellness Initiative for Senior Education, is being piloted in four counties with some of the highest numbers of older adult overdoses in the Commonwealth, including Lawrence County.

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Castle, PA) The Pennsylvania departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) and Aging (PDA) announced the launch of the Shapiro Administration’s new initiative on Wednesday in New Castle to help lower the number of fatal overdoses in older adults in Pennsylvania, which is a number that has increased over the past few years. The agencies are implementing an evidence-based substance use prevention and wellness program that is called the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) across four counties with some of the highest rates of overdoses for Pennsylvanians that are 55 and older. The funding to implement the WISE initiative is provided from the “Big Four” opioid settlement, which was the result of a multistate investigation of opioid manufacturers and distributors that was spearheaded by Governor Josh Shapiro when he was Attorney General.