Jake Santo, Capri Scarcelli, Hunter Klobucar, Quincey Reese and Cam Laffoon
Throughout recent years, Westmoreland County has seen an increase in drug usage. According to the westmoreland.pa.us, there have been more drug-related deaths than accidents or suicides in the past eight years. In 2016 alone there were 139 drug overdoses, which is 117 more than in 2002.
This issue not only applies to Westmoreland County, but to Penn-Trafford as well. Having served nine years in the Penn-Township police force, Officer Dave Myers has noticed the drug epidemic, awareness for it and tolerance of drug use increase over time.
“In our society, alcohol is socially acceptable, and you can now see the movement to where marijuana is also socially acceptable,” Myers said. “Sometimes there are parents who say ‘oh well they were just smoking a little weed’. They weren’t drinking, but to the same extent you start seeing a change in our acceptance.”
The Chief of Police of Delmont Borough and President of the drug task force for Westmoreland county Tim Klobucar believes that there is a drug problem everywhere.
“I see a drug increase each year, this is a growing problem that is now an epidemic,” said Klobucar.
P-T principal Tony Aquilio said he believes there is a drug problem in the area, but also in the rest of the world today.
“There is a drug epidemic within our society in general. I don’t have any hard data, but over the years it seems drug issues continue to grow,” Aquilio said. “I have seen an increase in prescription drug use over the last few years. When certain drugs become legal in certain areas, I feel that gives people the green light to use them and think it must not be that bad.”
Westmoreland County.
In order to eliminate the problem in P-T, Aquilio said the school offers several opportunities to monitor the issue among students individually. One in particular is the Student Assistance Program (SAP), a group of administrators, counselors, psychologists, nurses, teachers and outside agencies who are available to help students and families when facing problems such as this.
Aquilio continued to say that preventing and stopping the drug issue combines education with assistance programs like SAP.
“There are a couple different things that school leaders focus on in this area. There has to be a balance of education and support services,” Aquilio said. “There are school consequences for drugs and alcohol, but if there is no support from students and their families, we cannot expect positive change. Education has to start at an early age and be continuously reinforced.”
Myers pointed out that the only way to put an end to the recklessness of drug addiction is to educate the younger citizens to prevent more accidents from occurring.
“We are taking a proactive approach: there has always been the enforcement part, but we now have a lot of emphasis on education. We talk in classes, we have drug forms, and we are also a part of different organizations that put the word out,” Myers said.
“Education is the only way we are going to put a dent in this issue. Addicts can get help, but usually it takes multiple times or they can’t get away from the addiction. If we can put a dent in them prior to becoming an addict, I think that is one of the ways we can make a difference.”
Klobucar also believes that education is very important.
“Education is big, it is very important that we educate the community on this epidemic. All agencies from all departments are working together to address the problem,” said Klobucar.
The biggest challenge Aquilio and other school administrators face with this plan is getting parental support. He added support services are only helpful as long as parents are willing to utilize them, but many parents deny their child has a problem in the first place.
Myers said the most abused drugs in Penn-Township are heroin and prescription pills, although he has also seen overdoses of elephant tranquilizers and fentanyl.
“With heroin, you see the most devastating results. Before it was a lot of marijuana. It kind of goes in cycles for a while,” Myers said. “There was a lot of cocaine and it kind of went away, and now it’s making a comeback. Heroine is so cheap and so powerful and so addictive that it just becomes all that you’re seeing, especially with overdose.”
P-T SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) sponsor Kim Stefkovich said some people use drugs as an unhealthy source of self-management, and are often not patient enough to follow-through with treatment if they seek it.
“I think peer pressure and life play a huge role in drug problems. Many people self-medicate to cope instead of getting the proper help,” Stefkovich said. “We are in a society that demands immediate solutions to problems and people feel that drugs are that immediate fix.”
Stefkovich also said denial factors in on drug problems going unnoticed.
“No one wants to admit that someone they are related to or friends with is an addict. There is a huge stigma that comes with that diagnosis,” she said.
Stefkovich continued to say one of the only ways to improve upon this epidemic is to help one another grow and learn from these mistakes.
“Being the sponsor of SADD, we try to promote the dangers of drugs to remind people that one bad decision can be life changing,” Stefkovich said. “I also feel that parents and friends need to be more vocal if they see someone that is suffering with addiction issues. I think people need to realize that you aren’t trying to get them into trouble, you are trying to save their life.”
Myers said the issue has progressed in how the police force is seeing more adults than high school students abusing drugs. He explained the problems have been passed down to the youth over time.
“When I arrest an addict, a lot of times I ask how they became an addict, and it’s often the same story. It started with alcohol, then it moved to pills, or it started with weed then it moved to pills,” Myers said. “Then the pills became too expensive and it went on to heroin. That’s where I believe it’s a building block.”
Klobucar said he believes the same concept and witnesses the trends with arrests.
“With the increase in overdoses we are now trained in Narcan. It is not only for the abusers it is for the policemen’s safety as well,” Klobucar said. “I have seen cases where when the police are handling these substances and working with the suspects, and this stuff enters their body and causes them severe harm and even cases of death. This is bad stuff and we have to ensure safety for us and the users. Safety is very important, at the end of the day we all have families to come home to.”
Aquilio said the best thing students can do to prevent this issue is by being a support for anyone who is dealing with it.
“Be a support person for your friends. The students that have supportive friends that want to see them get better are usually the ones that are successful in getting the needed treatment,” Aquilio said. “If you know of someone that needs help, show them you care and that you are willing to assist them in getting the necessary treatment.”