LACKAWANNA RECOVERY COALITION
The Lackawanna Recovery Coalition, established in February 2017, is working to reduce opioid poisoning deaths in our county by getting people with opioid use disorders the help they need. By working together with all the stakeholder groups in our community, we believe we can put an end to this tragic epidemic. The Coalition is an initiative facilitated by the Pennsylvania Opioid Overdose Reduction Technical Assistance Center.
The numbers are staggering. In 2017, Pennsylvania reported 5,456 opioid poisoning deaths (overdoses). This represents a rate of 43 deaths per 100,000, far exceeding the national average of 22 per 100,000 in 2017. (SEE FULL REPORT) Lackawanna County has been hit particularly hard. There were 98 known opioid poisoning deaths in 2018, and the rate has increased every year since 2014 when statistics were first recorded.
BY THE NUMBERS
The LRC is composed of community leaders, including law enforcement, health-care providers, emergency responders, treatment providers, social service agencies, the recovery community, 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.