A new report seeks to shed light on the scope of addiction in America, as well as in Pennsylvania.
The report is the first of its kind from the U.S. Surgeon General. Among its findings, it states only one out of 10 Americans suffering with addiction is treated.
Ted Dallas- Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs- believes that is partially due to the stigma associated with addiction.
“When we stigmatize those with this disease, we actually keep them from getting the help they need,” Dallas said. “Because of the stigma, those struggling with addiction are often too ashamed to seek treatment.”
Dallas says Pennsylvania is meeting this crisis head-on.
“We have new programs coming on at record-high rates,” he said. “We’re also trying to address the overdose epidemic.”
Roughly 3,500 Pennsylvanians were killed from overdoses in 2015.
Dallas urges that reversing the effects of an opioid overdose is not enough and its imperative overdose survivors go directly into treatment centers.
Two people died of suspected heroin overdoses in Butler City Sunday afternoon.
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