LACKAWANNA RECOVERY COALITION
The Lackawanna Recovery Coalition, established in February 2017, is working to reduce opioid overdose deaths in Lackawanna County by getting people with opioid use disorder into recovery, reducing harm and educating the public about the disease of addiction. By working together with all the stakeholder groups in our community, we believe we can start to put an end to this tragic epidemic.
The numbers are staggering. In 2021, there were 98,268 overdose deaths in the United States, 5,168 in Pennsylvania and 110 in Lackawanna County. While we have made some progress in lowering the death toll in our community, the increasing widespread presence of fentanyl in many street drugs, the introduction of xylazine, and other developments have made the solution to this crisis a moving target.
BY THE NUMBERS
The LRC is composed of community leaders, including law enforcement, health-care providers, treatment providers, emergency responders, social service agencies, the recovery community, faith leaders, and family activists, among others – all working together to address the many facets of the opioid epidemic.
The Coalition is focused on educating the community about opioid use disorder, providing pathways to treatment and recovery for people with opioid use disorder, providing resources to families, preventing fatal overdoses by distributing Narcan and educating people on how to use it, teaching health-care providers about best prescribing practices, and preventing opioid use disorder by promoting the proper disposal of unused prescription opioid medications.
To accomplish our goals, the Coalition has been organized into three main areas
Community Awareness & Outreach
Educating the community about opioid use disorder through educational outreach, awareness campaigns and online resources.
Continuing Education Events on Opioid Prescribing Best Practices
Educating health-care professionals about best prescribing practices and use disorder prevention.
Treatment Resources
Educating stakeholders and the public about local recovery resources, prescription drug disposal sites, and Narcan suppliers.