Nov 8, 2015 2 min read

A recent letter to the editor questioned the value of the money spent on drug treatment in this country and naloxone in Pennsylvania. More than 23 million people are living in the United States today in recovery from the disease of addiction. Many of those in recovery live in Washington County, where they work and contribute their time and tax dollars to improving their community. In fact, for every $1 spent on treatment, $7 is returned to the taxpayer. I call this money well spent.

In a nation in the midst of its worst drug overdose death epidemic ever, we only provide enough funding to treat approximately 10 percent of those who need it. Imagine what we could do with adequate funding to prevent and treat addiction and intervene in the lives of those who need help. Instead of thousands of Pennsylvanian families forever shattered, we could have far healthier and safer communities.

In Pennsylvania, we are fortunate to have a leader in Gov. Tom Wolf who believes the life of every Pennsylvanian matters. The recent signing of a standing order making naloxone available to anyone who wants it is proof of that. Generous donations from health insurance companies, along with grant money administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which, by statute, financially supports programs that increase the safety of our communities, have helped police in this state reverse more than 320 overdoses in just one year.

No one is immune from the disease of addiction. From grandchildren to grandparents, eight people die every day in this state from an overdose.

All of them could have been helped, but widespread shaming attitudes kept them in the shadows until they died. With one in four Pennsylvania families affected by addiction, we can no longer accept closed-mindedness.

Gary Tennis

Harrisburg

Tennis is the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.