HEMPFIELD, Pa. — Local lawmakers heard emotional testimony Wednesday from recovering drug addicts hoping they won’t be the next to become part of an alarming number of people who have died of heroin overdoses.
Since January 2012, 100 people in Westmoreland County have died of heroin overdoses. That alarming statistic brought officials of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee from Harrisburg to Hempfield Wednesday.
Several survivors spoke at the meeting, hoping there’s something the state can do to lower the number of overdoses in Western Pennsylvania.
“There’s only hope for so long before we end up in jail, rehab or dead,” Caitlyn Stone said.
Stone said she started using heroin because it was available, and spending $300 was nothing to her if it meant feeding her addiction.
“I want to do anything I can to help repay my debt to society to try to change something,” Stone said.
Nick Carrozza said he got into an intensive treatment program, instead of going to jail, and he finally overcame his addiction.
“I was embarrassed. I was using heroin and using needles. It was a disgusting habit and I didn’t want anyone to know about it. It kept me using for a long time,” Carrozza said.
Carrozza said he was hoping to get across a message Wednesday.
“Open their eyes. Locking people up isn’t the answer,” Carrozza said.
Rep. Tim Krieger headed up the hearing in hopes of seeing if there is more the state can do to prevent addiction.
“I took from them that these are very deep problems and one law isn’t going to fix these. The community all works together,” Krieger said.
Many of the district attorneys and law enforcement agencies testified that prescription drugs lead to heroin addiction, and nearly 90 percent of crime in their communities is drug-related.
One thing that was brought up often in the hearing is a bill in the House that would create a prescription drug database for better monitoring.
Wednesday’s hearing was the first of three that are being held in our region of the state.