PublicSource | News for a better Pittsburgh (https://www.publicsource.org/series/the-fix/)
A series focused on telling stories about the opioid epidemic in the Pittsburgh region.
Ashley Potts struggled with addiction for years before getting clean. She went back to school, eventually earning a Master of Social Work degree.
Casey Mullen served 26 months in a state penitentiary for convictions related to his narcotics addiction. Today, he is a lawyer in Pittsburgh.
Kathy and Judy, with their drastically different backgrounds, share the common experience of a life-altering addiction.
"It's getting our people to admit [they are struggling]. ... We've become numb to the situation because we are dealing with it on a daily basis.”
Becoming dependent on drugs can happen to anyone. It’s important to keep in mind that we can all do a better job of decreasing stigma around drug use.
Now is the time we must confront our approach to treatment and recovery.
Federal law enforcement agents say that residents can get packages of fentanyl and other illicit drugs delivered right to their doorsteps, much like a product you would order from Amazon.
The numbers alone are staggering.
PublicSource has used available data for Allegheny County and the state to communicate visually how this epidemic has affected our region.
