Heroin in the News Archive

Pennsylvania experienced a drop in fatal overdoses in 2018, an 18% decrease. However, according to a report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, there has been a decrease in some counties while the crisis has significantly increased in other parts of the commonwealth.   [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania | September 25, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. | Keystone Building, PUC Hearing Room #5 |     [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, chaired by State Senator Gene Yaw, will hold a public hearing at the Commonwealth Keystone Building on Wednesday, September 25, on the heroin/opioid epidemic to gather information, including the status of and accessibility to the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).   [Read More]

A new source of state help is available for grandparents raising their grandchildren in Pennsylvania, according to state Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23).   [Read More]

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In the second program in an award-winning series, Pennsylvania's Public Media networks will focus on children and families in "Battling Opioids: Part 2," airing statewide at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 11.   [Read More]

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Members of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors and other legislators today convened at the State Capitol as part of a four year examination of the statewide opioid crisis, with a focus on treating addiction as a disease, such as heart disease or diabetes.   [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania | October 2, 2018 at 10 am. | Senate Majority Caucus Room |     [Read More]

PUBLIC HEARING State of Addiction Confronting the Heroin/Opioid Epidemic in Pennsylvania Wednesday – August 15, 2018 Cambria County Courthouse, Courthouse 1 Ebensburg, PA   AGENDA 6:30PM Welcome and Opening Comments Senator Gene Yaw, Chairman, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania 6:45PM Cambria County Drug Coalition Members: Ms. Tracy Selak – Cambria County BH, ID, EI and […]   [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, chaired by State Senator Gene Yaw, will hold a public hearing in Ebensburg on Wednesday, August 15 to gather more information on Medication Assisted Treatment services, Pennsylvania drug courts, and reemployment opportunities for people battling addiction to heroin and opioids. Senator Yaw Audio Senator Langerholc Audio   [Read More]

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Public Policy and Best Practices for Reducing Opioid Harm | June 6, 2018 | 14 East Wing, State Capitol Building   [Read More]

Winners of a statewide “Talk to Your State Senator” video competition will be announced online at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 2, according to Senator Gene Yaw (R-23).   [Read More]

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Sen. Yaw presents “State of Addiction” during Clarion University Opioid Conference.   [Read More]

State Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23) will participate in Communities in Crisis: PA’s Opioid Epidemic, a conference sponsored by the Mu Xi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society at Clarion University of PA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Nursing Association.   [Read More]

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With many investment advisers reporting that they have clients or client family members struggling with opioid use disorder, the Department of Banking and Securities has partnered with the Department of Health to provide a resource guide to assist financial professionals coping with this public health crisis.   [Read More]

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The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, chaired by State Senator Gene Yaw, will hold a public hearing in Williamsport on Thursday, October 26 to gather information on what is being done at the federal, state and local levels to tackle the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic.   [Read More]

Center for Rural Pennsylvania - UPMC Susquehanna - Williamsport   [Read More]

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Legislation limiting the amount of opioids that individuals may be prescribed won bipartisan approval today in the state Senate, according to the bill’s prime sponsor Senator Gene Yaw (R-23).   [Read More]

Governor Wolf today urged the General Assembly to consider an important set of bills aimed at providing Pennsylvanians with the tools they need to prevent and fight the heroin and opioid epidemic.   [Read More]

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State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23), Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors, announced today that the Center will hold a public hearing in Williamsport on Thursday, October 26, 2017 to gather information on what is being done at the federal, state and local levels to tackle the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic.     [Read More]

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State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) today praised Pennsylvania’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) for helping curb prescription painkillers such as Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet statewide.   [Read More]

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No one can dispute that prescription drug abuse is one of the biggest public health issues currently facing our society.   [Read More]

State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23), Co-Chair of Pennsylvania’s Heroin, Opioid Prevention and Education (PA-HOPE) Caucus, today commended President Trump’s decision to declare the heroin and opioid epidemic a “national emergency.”   [Read More]

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) joined The PLS Reporter to talk about his bill, Senate Bill 828, which would block the consolidation of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs into the proposed Department of Health and Human Services   [Read More]

Gary Tuggle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division, announced today the release of the 2017 edition of Drugs of Abuse, A DEA Resource Guide.   [Read More]

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Legislation implementing opioid prescribing guidelines developed by Governor Wolf’s Safe and Effective Prescribing Practices Task Force was unanimously supported today by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, according to Senator Gene Yaw (R-23), prime sponsor of the bill. Listen   [Read More]

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Confronting the Heroin\Opioid Epidemic in Pennsylvania - Bradford - May 10, 2017     [Read More]

State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23), Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors, today announced that the Center, a bipartisan, bicameral research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, will hold a public hearing to look at the challenges faced by Pennsylvania grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren because of the heroin and opioid epidemic. Listen   [Read More]

The region and state’s heroin epidemic is being fought on many fronts.   [Read More]

Should drug overdose victims be required to go to rehab?   [Read More]

When surging drug overdose deaths finally spurred state legislation last  year, many policymakers warned that there would be no immediate reversal of  the trend.    [Read More]

State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) will appear on the Pennsylvania Cable Network’s “PCN Call-In” Program today, Tuesday, Dec. 6, highlighting state efforts to educate, prevent, and combat the growing heroin and opioid epidemic.   [Read More]

Landmark legislation aimed at curbing Pennsylvania’s heroin and opioid epidemic were unanimously approved today by the state legislature, according to Senator Gene Yaw (R-23).   [Read More]

Over 19,000 households took part across 14 southwestern Pennsylvania counties Monday, October 17, for a Telephone Town Hall meeting hosted by area legislators to discuss the heroin and opioid epidemic in the region.   [Read More]

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State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) today addressed the latest report issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division’s (PFD) Intelligence Program, which analyzed illicit and diverted pharmaceutical abuse in Pennsylvania, as measured through drug-related overdose death data.   [Read More]

Legislation limiting the amount of opioids that children may be prescribed will soon be introduced by state Senator Gene Yaw (R-23).   [Read More]

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State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) today released the following statement on the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 1202, a measure to increase education in pain management and opioid prescribing practices for medical professionals.   [Read More]

Legislation to require medical professionals who prescribe opioid drugs to receive education on the topic sailed through a Senate committee Tuesday.   [Read More]

State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) is inviting residents living in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Union counties, as well as other interested individuals across the Commonwealth, to join him for a special telephone town hall discussion on heroin and opioid addiction.   [Read More]

In an effort to address the opioid overdose epidemic plaguing the Commonwealth, state Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) today said he will introduce legislation that implements Safe Opioid Prescribing Curriculum in all of Pennsylvania’s medical schools, with state funding being contingent on the curriculum implementation.   [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania will hold its 10th public hearing to solicit testimony on confronting the heroin and opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania and how this epidemic is affecting our most rural counties.   [Read More]

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Senator Gene Yaw discusses the Commonwealth’s heroin problem with Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman and Barry Denk, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. On April 21st, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania will hold its ninth public hearing at Geisinger-Lewistown to gather information as to how the heroin/opioid epidemic is affecting some of Pennsylvania’s most rural and remote counties.     [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania will hold the second of three public hearings to solicit testimony on confronting the heroin and opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania.   [Read More]

State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) will be participating in a public discussion Monday, April 11th outlining the seriousness and magnitude of the heroin epidemic in Central Pennsylvania.   [Read More]

Monday April 11, 2016 at 7:00 PM at the Baylor Conference Room – Best Western Country Cupboard Inn – north of Lewisburg along Route 15, State Senator Gene Yaw and Union County Commissioner Preston Boop will outline the seriousness and magnitude of the heroin epidemic here in central Pennsylvania. Both these men have extensive experience dealing with the wreckage and devastation heroin addiction leaves in its wake.   [Read More]

Senator Yaw appeared on WITF's Smart Talk on Tuesday for a discussion titled: "What to do about PA's heroin epidemic." Listen   [Read More]

Pennsylvania leads the nation in drug overdose deaths among young adult men, according to a 2015 report released by the Trust for America’s Health, a public health non-profit.   [Read More]

Senator Gene Yaw discusses the Commonwealth's heroin problem with Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Barry Denk, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. On April 1st, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania will begin a third round of public hearings to gather information as to how the heroin/opioid epidemic is affecting some of Pennsylvania’s most rural and remote counties. Watch Live   [Read More]

Heroin and opioid use is on the rise in rural Pennsylvania and a hearing set for Friday may provide some answers.   [Read More]

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Click here for more information.   [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania will hold three public hearings to solicit testimony on confronting the heroin and opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania.   [Read More]

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Conversations Live: The Heroin Epidemic Revisited   [Read More]

Medication Disposal Grant Program: Deadline is January 22, 2016 11:59 PM. Medication Disposal Grant Program – Request for Proposal Medication Disposal Grant Program – FAQ Medication Disposal Grant Program – Budget Template   [Read More]

    The Center for Rural Pennsylvania today announced the release of its most recent report, "Heroin: Combating this Growing Epidemic in PA,” which reflects testimony collected during a second round of statewide public hearings held in July and August.Heroin Report   [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has announced the last of three public hearings to be held across Pennsylvania to solicit testimony on heroin and opioid addiction treatment and recovery services.   [Read More]

THE CENTER FOR RURAL PENNSYLVANIA Heroin and Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery - York - August 18, 2015   [Read More]

Eighty-four percent of Pennsylvania municipal police departments participating in a statewide survey conducted by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs said they responded to one or more drug-related overdose calls in the last 12 months.   [Read More]

THE CENTER FOR RURAL PENNSYLVANIA Heroin and Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery - Scranton July 29, 2015   [Read More]

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THE CENTER FOR RURAL PENNSYLVANIA Heroin and Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery - Latrobe July 21, 2015   [Read More]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors announced this week that it has scheduled three additional hearings to discuss heroin and opioid treatment and recovery efforts. The announcement came at its June 15th Board meeting in Harrisburg.   [Read More]

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The Center for Rural Pennsylvania today released a report summarizing the findings of four statewide hearings held to examine the growing numbers of heroin and opioid related deaths and arrests across Pennsylvania.   [Read More]

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