Attending a Formal Government-Sponsored Hearing

¶ … Public Hearing -- Heroin Epidemic The hearing attended for this paper was on Tuesday, August 26, from 9:30 A.M. To twelve noon. It was held at the Penn State Schuylkill, which is a campus that is part of Pennsylvania State University in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. Schuylkill Haven is located in Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania. The purpose of the hearing was to present a formal, public discussion on a serious and growing drug problem in the county.

Specifically, the hearing was focused on the serious problem in the community of heroin and opioid addiction, and what can be done about it. Also the hearing was held to discuss not just the problems of addiction -- and evidence to support that issue -- but also to bring to the audience's attention preventative measures that can be taken, or are being taken, whether adequate or not in the present context.

This was an opportunity for some elected officials to engage in dialogue with the community -- though there was a question and answer format, participants were asked to keep their comments to two minutes -- and to show those in attendance, and in the media, that these public officials had great concern about the drug problem and were committed to doing something about it.

There was a minimum of what you might call "grandstanding" -- politicians bragging about what they have done to help prevent heroin and opioid addiction, especially among young people -- and the focus was clearly on the present realities of the problem, and on the potential solutions that could be initiated.

Details of the Hearing Process After opening greetings, announcements, and general remarks presented by State Representative Jerry Knowles, who represents several counties in the 124th Legislative District (Berks, Carbon and Schuylkill), Knowles made some initial comments, including these remarks: "It's an epidemic, and this growing problem must be stopped." Knowles said there would be time for questions after the testimony, and for people to write down their questions and an usher would pick them up and deliver them to the panel.

Knowles turned the floor over to Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman. She talked about the number of arrests related to heroin sales and usage in the county. She offered a recap of what the county has been doing; along with sheriff's department officials and members of the District Attorney's office, the county has taken a role of advocacy by going out to public schools and talking to children about the problem. Holman didn't minimize the problem nor did she suggest that it was under control.

Rather, she called on parents, teachers, neighbors and members of faith communities to participate in prevention programs. Important Testimony Offered at the Hearing Neal Goodman was introduced (he is the State Representative for the 123rd Legislative District) and reminded the audience that this is "…a bipartisan issue.

I think all of us, on a daily basis, see how this epidemic has spread not just throughout the county, but throughout the commonwealth." He said the "best way" to "get in front of this" is by "educating the public" and for elected leaders to be working with a diverse number of citizen in every walk of life. Gary Tennis, who is secretary for the state Department of Drug and Alcohol programs, indicated that he had never seen an epidemic so widespread as the heroin problem is today.

"The number or prisons and jails we have today are the consequences of a failed healthcare policy in the area of drug and alcohol addiction treatment." While Goodman had said this is not a partisan issue, Tennis sounded a bit partisan when he said there has been a "lack of resources" and treatment programs over the past twenty years have been "dwindling away and dwindling away" in the state. Tennis added that seventy percent of crime in Pennsylvania is driven by illicit drug usage.

The audience, a nearly full house, was very attentive. When it came time for Michael Ogden to speak, the program director for the Bridge Program in Philadelphia said, using an emotional tone, said that he knows "…first-hand the devastation many of these families face. The issue is very real…and people are dying from it. "I…believe we can do something about it…but we have to break down our silos and we have to work together," he added.

Then Ogden stated that "evidence-based practices" can result in savings in the state; for example, for every one dollar spent on treatment, up to $5.60 can be saved for taxpayers, which includes the cost to society in terms of law enforcement and healthcare issues. Ogden urged those legislators on the panel to advocate for the use of Narcan, a medication that can reverse the negative effects of an overdose on opioids.

Ogden stressed that Narcan does not make a person high, and it is not addictive, but, turning to Goodman and Knowles on the panel, he asserted that current legislation puts limits on who can use Narcan. "Any kind of treatment we should be able to offer them, we should do it," he stated. Michael Harle was next to speak; he is the CEO and President of Gaudenzia, a noted and respected treatment facility.

While cocaine and meth are still problems, Harle stated, "Heroin is now the primary drug of choice in Schuylkill County…This is a serious epidemic" partly because, he continued, "Right now a bag of heroin is cheaper than a pack of cigarettes." Meanwhile, William Rowan, director of Schuylkill Medical Center's drug and alcohol center was given the floor.

He praised Governor Tom Corbett for signing Senate Bill 1180 and House Bill 1846, which provided a database for addictive medications and developed a working group to attack the problem of drug abuse vis-a-vis opioids. [In April, 2015, incoming governor Tom Wolf has authorized Pennsylvania State Police to carry Narcan, and to be able "…to administer the drug through a nasal spray" (Quinn, 2015).] Another speaker was Bob Carl, the executive director of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce.

Besides his role with the Chamber, Carl has been a registered pharmacist in the county for 37 years. He spoke out against the "very disturbing trend" which he referred to as the "significant abuse of opioid painkillers," which he called the "most widely prescribed pain relievers and highly abused prescription drugs." The Quality of the Testimony Most of the attendees at the hearing were riveted by the remarks delivered by the panel members.

The testimony was compelling, and what was important from this perspective at the hearing was that the speakers didn't drone on and on with boring.