SUNBURY – Several meetings were held Wednesday to discuss the opioid epidemic, hosted by the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way and the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. Steven Murphy Shope, executive director of Project Bald Eagle of Williamsport is hoping to get groups from Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties to join their effort.
Shope said, “Project Bald Eagle is a federally recognized coalition organized and we exist to help stem the tide of the opioid epidemic. Our offices are located in the Pennsylvania College of Technology.”
He led three public recruitment meetings in Lewisburg, Danville and Sunbury Wednesday. Shope says people need to step up to be part of the cause, “A lot of these people are already addressing some of the singular components that will need to be addressed as part of a coalition. So, just fold that right in. You know, bring that experience, bring that already existing organization and we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There is a place for all of those existing efforts. Again, it’s bringing us all together collectively in harmony for the common goal.”
Shope said there were enough opioid prescriptions written in 2012 to supply every adult in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 259-million prescriptions. Local coalitions need direction from local leadership according to United Way president and CEO Joanne Troutman. The next step is to establish a central advisory board and sub-committees. For more information you can go to Project Bald Eagle’s website at projectbaldeagle.com. (Ali Stevens)
