Shapiro Brings Anti-Drug Message to Clinton County
LOCK HAVEN – Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro brought his anti-drug campaign to Clinton County Thursday with a county Garden Building meeting with those on the front line of the drug battle.
Shapiro said prescription drug abuse is “particularly bad in rural Pennsylvania” as he spent the day traveling from Tioga County to Clinton County to Green County. He said he visit was as much about listening to local players in the battle against drugs as it was about sharing what the A-G’s office does. After the meeting Shapiro said he was impressed how the various agencies involved work well in the local community, commenting that is not always the case.
Asked how to change the opioid culture in the country, Shapiro said society needs to do away with the stigma of addiction (with a greater emphasis on treatment, a topic he touched upon during his presentation to his audience of law enforcement, court and treatment providers). He said better education about drugs is needed for young people, noting that 80 percent of heroin users got their start on prescription drugs.
Shapiro said he did not favor the legalization of marijuana, as has been done in an increasing number of states across the country. He called marijuana a gateway drug to other addictive drug use, although he noted he is “okay” with the use of medical marijuana and okay with reducing penalties on those who are arrested for the use of recreational use of marijuana.
His talk included an emphasis on increased drug dealer arrests across the state. Shapiro, a former Montgomery County district attorney, was elected to his first term as state attorney general last November, taking office in January of this year.
Clinton County District Attorney Dave Strouse called the meeting “a great opportunity to have a meaningful dialogue with the chief law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth about the unique challenges” faced in the county. He lauded the Shapiro visit, calling it “very encouraging to see that a person in his position is willing to take the tame, on a personal level, to really hear our concerns and discuss possible remedies.”
“Ultimately we are going to need the Office of the Attorney General to be our close partner to combat the opioid epidemic here locally, Strouse said. “The message today was that the Attorney General’s Office is embracing that partnership. That’s good news for the people of Clinton County.”
