The opioid epidemic continues to crush our region here in Western Pennsylvania.
96-thousand Americans died of drug overdoses last year. 5,100 were in Western PA; 689 of them were in Allegheny County alone.
Jennifer Smith, the Pennsylvania Secretary of Drug & Alcohol Programs, tells Larry and Kevin on NewsRadio KDKA that it's time to shine a light on this issue:
"To know that there is hope in dealing with this disorder, that people do recover from it", she says. "And making sure that we just remind people that it's okay to ask for help; it's okay to reach out".
The state has set up a hotline, which connects people to resources and services. It's 1-800-662-HELP.