(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Though we’ve all heard about it and recognized it as a problem for the majority of the 2010s, the opioid crisis still has several elements holding it back from being eliminated from society. Among the chief reasons for such issues, as discussed at the Sixth Anuual Town Hall Meeting presented by the Beaver County Drug Abuse Coalition at the CCBC Golden Dome, is the stigma that surrounds being an addict and being associated with one.

The DAC presented their newest logo and slogan at the Town Hall Meeting, with the message “It’s All Our Back Yard”. The message insists on the idea that each one of us has someone or some connection that requires us to do our part in stopping the opioid crisis. Kate Lowery introduced the new logo on behalf of the DAC as well as Beaver County Behavioral Health.

The next two speakers, Chico Ficerai & Kristen Hall, spoke from the painful, personal experiences of having to deal with an opioid addiction. Ficerai had a son who was dealing with such an addiction, and she spoke about the difficulties of trying to hold on to the control of a child during their struggle. The Canadian-born Hall spoke from the experience of an addiction to diet pills on how the addiction becomes something beyond yourself, and how rehabilitation services are worth it for the sake of connection and understanding one’s situation. The two then joined Lowery for a public Q&A moderated by Jill Perry of JP Counseling.

After the Q&A, Dr. Mark J. Fuller of Beacon Health Options spoke about how those struggling with a drug addiction usually aren’t dealing with just a drug addiction–but rather another issue of either mental health, physical health, or other mitigating circumstances. The second half started with a brief speech from Western PA U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, who spoke about how he’s seen the socioeconomic downturn of places such as the mill towns (including his native Greenville) becoming a factor in the opioid crisis, and that it’s more important than ever for law enforcement and the public to do their roles in making sure that those dealing with addiction are dealt with properly.

The event closed with speeches from Maurice Hickman from FOCUS Pittsburgh and Carlton Hall from Carlton Hall Consulting. Hickman particularly spoke about how it is necessary to deal with opioid and other drug addictions at the source with children early on, citing himself that he had attended several funerals in 2019 with vicitims ranging from the ages of 12 to 24. He said that such trauma grows dangerous when it continues to be hidden away from the light it needs to proceed in.

The event was co-sponsored by Beaver County Drug & Alcohol Programs and Keystone Wellness Programs.

 

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