NorCo Heroin Task Force Gets $103,000 Grant

Northampton County's Heroin and Opioid Overdose Task Force (Task Force) has  received a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic. This money will promote community based education and awareness. It will also fund access to treatment and naloxone, a life-saving treatment for drug overdoses. .

Who's in this task force?  Bethlehem Health Bureau, Northampton County Drug and Alcohol Division, Northampton County Coroner, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Lehigh Valley Health Network, ethlehem EMS, Bethlehem Police, Bangor Police, Northampton County Department of Corrections, Center for Humanistic Change, Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley and Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation.

Two Rivers Health and Wellness will administer the grant.

Hanover (Lehigh) and McNeill To Host Heroin, Opioid Addiction Town Hall Tonight!

I will be at a NorCo Council Committee hearing at 6 pm, but as soon as it ends, I'll be heading to this Town Hall at Days Hotel in Allentown at 3400 Airport Road. It starts at 7 pm. Parents and students are welcome to as questions and share their insights.

Among elected officials here in the Lehigh Valley, Dan McNeill has done more than anyone, with the possible exception of the DAs and judges. Unfortunately, they deal with the aftermath. McNeill would like to preventit from getting there.

Dear Heroin

Joseph Bleiler, known to his friends as Joey B, started using heroin at age 13. The result of that lifestyle is revealed by headlines like "Son wielded knife, wrestled with mother, according to Roseto police chief" "Roseto mom purchased heroin in Easton with 17-year-old son in car, police say" and "Joseph Bleiler shops on another man's dime."

Joey B is a participant in Northampton County's Drug Court, and was promoted to Phase 2 yesterday after writing and reading this essay in open court to his ex-wife, heroin.   

Dear Heroin,

Well old friend it's been a long time since we last talked, I remember the last time we talked it was a rough day the last time I saw you. You know you really destroyed a lot of my life. You took my family from me, and you took my own life. It's because of you that my arms are always cold. You're the reason my family turned their backs on me, because you did this to me you ended up making me the evil person I did not want to be. That would steal anything that wasn't tied down. You broke me spiritually, emotionally and physically. You robbed me of my dignity and self-respect. You took everything from me. You stole my family and you made all my friends hate me and worst of all you took it all. I have nothing because of you, you made me weak and broken. I definitely won't let it happen again. I loved you, and you never gave me anything but a bad life because you drained me of everything I ever had. I committed crimes because of your influence and tried to take my own life. You left bruises on my arms. You made my life a living hell. I hated each day that I had to wake up and see you robbing everyone I know just for me to feel normal. I'll never give you that control again, because today I found a better way. I found I don't need you make me feel sick. In fact, just the thought of you makes my stomach turn. I lost it all for you, and I promise you'll never get another thing from me as long as I live. I won't let you take my life the way you did before because I'm stronger than you and I know you don't like it. The pestering of me every day was the worst part. The last thing I ever gave you was my freedom. You will never have anything of mine again. I was lost in a dark room with you and I won't go back to that room. I have nailed that door shut. left you. In the past all you wanted was to see me dead, and give me a false sense of happiness. ...

I have broken those chains you shackled me in. I have taken my life back, and I won't let you back in any matter how much you beg. I will never give this life up. It is beyond my wildest dreams. I don’t want to lie in bed with you anymore. That bed was cold, dark and filled with nothing but pain. I never knew who I was until now, and I'll never give it up. I want this forever.

You'll always be a distant memory of what life was like. I will never give you another ounce of my being. You took so much from my life, all the time I missed with my family, all the people who came and went in my life because of you. You took so many of my friends’ lives, but I won't let you take mine.

I remember the first time I met you, you made me feel complete inside. You could do no wrong and everything was just perfect. Then one day I woke up and thought I had the flu, turns out it was my body just missing you. Once I got you back in my veins, where you belonged, all my permanent problems were temporarily solved. Slowly but surely, you began to destroy my life. My family and friends just didn't understand that I had taken a vow and made you my wife. I loved you more than I loved my own mother for some reason even I couldn't understand. There in my room I sat, with all my possessions gone, my life gone, with just a mattress and a room. I gave you one last shot and fell on my face, hoping that I wouldn't awake. Then someone walked in my room and saved my life, and for that I am eternally grateful. Now I have a clear understanding that what I did was not right.

I thought life was perfect, I thought it was pure, but them the law caught up and I found a cure. On sheer willpower I couldn't go alone. I remember the nights crying on a jailhouse phone, pleading for forgiveness, asking for help. When I was released it was put on a shelf, never to be thought of again till the day you robbed me of my only best friend.

Alone in my cell is where I sat, when I got the news my mother had passed. I missed the last moments she had alive because I wanted to be with you one very last time. That was the last time you tried to take my life. After that day, you were no longer my wife. You took way too much and it wasn't enough, so no longer will I be a shell just left to wander and rust. Today I found a new way to live happy and free, so I'm closing the door and tossing the key. This is the last time I speak to you.

Sincerely,

Joey Bleiler

McNeill Donates Campaign Cash to Fight Heroin Addiction.

The Bethlehem School District check was presented to Nitschmann Middle School Principal Peter Mayes Also pictured on the left is Kathy Halkins, Supervisor of Health Services for BASD. On the Right is Vivian Robledo-Shorey, Director of Student Services and Minority Affairs for BASD.  

Some elected officials use campaign funds to pay their cell phone bills. Others buy clothing. A few, like Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski, use these donations to pay criminal defense lawyers. But State Rep. Dan McNeill (Pa. 133rd District) is dipping into his warchest, not for himself, but to fight heroin addiction.

When he conducted his first ever St. Patty’s Day Campaign Fundraiser, he vowed that every penny raised would be spent on the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic throughout the state.

He's kept his word. McNeill raised $2,000 at that fundraiser, and has donated the money evenly among the Whitehall/Coplay, Catasauqua, Bethlehem and Salisbury school districts.

“This epidemic is tearing families apart throughout the Lehigh Valley, and I’d rather see the money we raised go to fighting this problem than to pay for another campaign mailer,” said McNeill. “I’m tired of hearing about another young life lost to heroin, and the money will be better spent on educating our children and young adults on the dangerous of this often deadly addiction.”

McNeill donated $500 to each of four school districts to pay for drug education seminars like Heroin and Opioid Prevention Education (HOPE). Children learn the dangers of heroin and opioid use, while their parents are educated on the signs of heroin and opioid abuse as well. Although McNeill hopes that the programs are presented to all grades, he would like to see the focus on elementary school students.

McNeill has hosted two Town Hall Meetings as well as a roundtable discussion with State Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs Director Gary Tennis on the addiction problem. “I believe that we need to educate our students on the dangers of these drugs. If we can convince just one young adult to say 'no,' it will be worth it. If you don’t already know someone who is affected by this problem, within five years, you will. It could be your family member, your friend, your co-worker, or your neighbor. We have to fight this as a community, and I believe we have to educate our kids as early as possible to keep them off this dangerous path,” concluded McNeill.

The Bethlehem School District check was presented to Nitschmann Middle School Principal Peter Mayes Also pictured on the left is Kathy Halkins, Supervisor of Health Services for BASD. On the Right is Vivian Robledo-Shorey, Director of Student Services and Minority Affairs for BASD.

Blogger's Note: I am sorry to have missed the actual presentation at Nitschmann. I was waiting outside the new school, which is under construction. But it was done inside the old school. 

HOPE at Bethlehem City Hall Tonight

Northampton County Drug and Alcohol Division, in conjunction with the Center for Humanistic Change, will present a drug prevention education program this evening at Bethlehem's Town Hall, 6:30 pm.. It's called H.O.P.E., for heroin overdose prevention education.

What exactly is Heroin? Has it really become the leading cause of accidental death in the state? What are opioids? How do they relate to heroin? What are the signs you should look for when someone you love is using? What are health effects of heroin and opioid addiction? What does it impact relationships and work? Are there any local resources? Where can you go for help?

These questions and more will be answered.

"Educating the public is a key factor in helping to fight the heroin overdose epidemic that we are facing in our County," says Tiffany Rossanese, Northampton County Drug and Alcohol Administrator.

Morganelli, McNeill Take Aim at Heroin Epidemic

State rep. Dan McNeill with DA John Morganelli

Physically, it would be hard to find two people more different than Northampton County DA John Morganelli and State Rep Dan McNeill. Morganelli is small in stature, but is a fearless prosecutor, with 25 successful homicide cases under his belt  McNeill is a tough former ironworker who dwarfs a podium.But he's been deeply touched by the heroin epidemic ripping across the Lehigh Valley and the entire state. In recent weeks, he's teamed up with Lehigh County DA Jim Martin to raise public awareness of this crisis with town halls in Whitehall and Coplay. Now he's joining forces Morganelli as well to combat a serious public health problem. They both addressed their efforts following a meeting at the Northampton County Courthouse on April 14.

In recent months, Morganelli has arrested drug dealers who have sold heroin to victims who've overdosed and died. But Morganelli completely agrees with Lehigh County DA Jim Martin's assessment that it's impossible to "prosecute the problem away."

Heroin is now the biggest drug problem in the state. Its abuse is now the leading cause of accidental deaths in the state, surpassing accidental deaths, claims Morganelli. He also referred to statistics showing that accidental overdose deaths have been reported in 30 Lehigh Valley communities in 2014 and 2015.

In McNeill's town halls audiences have been frustrated at police for failing to take dealers off the streets, doctors for prescribing addictive painkillers and our health system for making it so difficult for families to find and then afford treatment for their loved ones.

At one of those town halls, McNeill invited Sharon Stauffer, a mother from Emmaus. She lost her son Ryan to a heroin overdose in 2010. He died with two needles stuck in his arm and eight empty bags of heroin by his side. Her poignant advice? "If your gut's telling you there's something wrong, there's something wrong."

Morganelli, who is one of three Democrats seeking his party's nomination for state Attorney General, said it's time to "change strategy" for accidental overdoses. "We have not been winning the war on drugs," he conceded. He has a three-pronged plan

First, Hit it at its source

He'd stop the flow of heroin into Pennsylvania by focusing on criminal organizations that bring it into the state and have made it cheap.He wants to form a "transnational organized crime unit" for a "full court press" to "crush" criminal enterprises that not only bring in heroin from other countries, but also engage in weapons trafficking, cyber crime and human trafficking. This specialized team would work closely with federal investigators.

Second, An ounce of prevention ...

Morganelli wants to step up preventive measures Every police department in the state would be supplied and trained with naloxone kits, which are used to treat heroin overdoses. He would overhaul a prescription drug monitoring program to make it easier to identify prescription drug abuse and tackle problems "before they get out of hand." He would expand the use of treatment courts and step up education efforts, particularly at schools.

Third, Support Your Local Sheriff

Sarah McCann shares story 

"We need more boots on the ground," he claimed. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a 2006 decision, effectively has prevented over 2,000 deputy sheriffs from participating in drug task forces. Noting that Sheriffs have the same training as police officers, he'd like to see legislation enacted that would give local DAs the option of using deputy sheriffs to participate in drug task forces.

Morganelli noted that as bad as heroin abuse is in the Lehigh Valley or in urban centers like Philadelphia, it's even worse in rural counties, where "county prisons have become detox units" and criminal justice resources are understaffed. Local sheriffs could fill that gap, he maintains.

At one of his town halls, McNeill provided an example of rural heroin abuse. Sarah McCann, age 24, is a farmer's daughter. And a heroin addict. She was shaking as she waited her turn to speak in Coplay At her young age, she's already lost a baby she was carrying. Her addicted boyfriend overdosed and died.

McNeill Forming Heroin Caucus, Wants Halfway Houses

Morganelli lauded McNeill for his efforts. For his part, the former trades union agent said he knew nothing about the subject until a few months ago. "What woke me up was when I heard from two parents who had just buried their children the day before," he said. "It blew my mind."

McNeill stated that Morganelli in Northampton County and Martin in Lehigh County have promised to help him in any way they can. Though he's running for re-election against Republican Dave Molony, he denied his interest is motivated by politics. "I have one Republican (Jim Martin) and one Democrat (John Morganelli) backing me, so I feel very good about that."

In Harrisburg, McNeill is setting up a bipartisan heroin caucus, and hopes to have 100 state legislators join him. He claimed the heroin epidemic "has to be stopped," and called it "totally out of control,." noting that there were over 3,000 heroin overdoes deaths last year in Pennsylvania. .

"These kids on heroin are not criminals," he said. "This has become a sickness."  He'd like to open up halfway houses specialized to deal with heroin and other opioids.

Dan McNeill clowns around with Tim Munsch

McNeill welcomes anyone with concerns to call his office (610-266-1273), regardless whether they live in his district.

As McNeill made his way out of the courthouse, he stopped to meet some members of Northampton County's Drug Court.

Tim Munsch, Director of Lehigh Valley Drug and Alcohol Intake,said that Lehigh Valley and St.Luke's Hospital should be more involved, and McNeill told him he'd like to use part of the vacant Allentown State Hospital to establish treatment for heroin and opioid addiction.

If You Need Help, There's Hope

Northampton County's Drug and Alcohol Division is sponsoring a presentation about the growing heroin and opioid epidemic. It will be hosted by HOPE (Heroin and Opioid Prevention Education) on Thursday, April 28, at 6:30 pm, at Bethlehem's Town Hall (10 E Church St, Bethlehem)

If you have a teenage child suffering from addiction or alcoholism, a parent support group meets every Thursday, 7 pm, at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, 3231 Tilghman St, Allentown, PA 18104.  For more information, contact Donna Jacobsen at DonnaJacobsen657@gmail.com

McNeill Hosts Second Town Hall on Heroin Epidemic

Dan McNeill hosts Second Town Hall about heroin epidemic

I caught half of State Rep. Dan McNeill's Town Hall at Coplay's American Club Pavilion last night concerning the current heroin and opioid addiction epidemic.  There were about forty people in the audience including a few parents, teachers and high school students. McNeill did practically none of the talking. Instead, we heard from three parents whose children died as a result of heroin addiction. In addition, two young ladies who are in the very early stages of recovery spoke. One has been clean for just 76 days, and spent much of the meeting shaking The other has only been sober for two months.

A Drug Overdose Parent

Sharon Stauffer, a mother from Emmaus, had the most poignant advice. "If you're gut's telling you there's something wrong, there's something wrong." She lost her son Ryan to a heroin overdose in 2010. He dide with two needles stuck in his arm and eight empty bags of heroin at his side.

He started his drug use in 2001, smoking marijuana. Now most people don't progress from that to marijuana, bit he did because he is an addict. He had battled his addiction fro years, in and out of rehabs.

Three months before his death, friends noticed needle marks in his arms and he began crying. "I can't stop," he told them.

Before he overdosed, he made an appointment to see a counselor. She couldn't see him for a few days because one of her other clients had just overdosed and had died.

"I could be doing a lot better," he told her.

"A least you're not dead," said the counselor.

Three days later, he was.

Alone.

Sarah McCann, 76 days clean

Sarah McCann

Sarah McCann, age 24, is a cutie from New York's finger lakes. Literally, she's a farmer's daughter. And a heroin addict. She's still in a very fragile condition, and was shaking as she waited her turn to speak.

She began dating early, at 14, and began abusing heroin with her boyfriend.

In May of last year, she discovered that she had become pregnant. But doctors told her she would lose the baby, and she did. Depressed, she abused heroin even more. Then her grandmother, with whom she was very close, passed away. That made he rmore depressed, and the drug abuse continued.

Forty bags a day.

Things came to a screeching halt when her boyfriend of ten years died as a result of a heroin overdose.His parents blamed her and refused to allow her to attend the viewing. She was accused of supplying the fatal dose. "I wish I had been the one who gave it to him," she said. "Maybe it wouldn't have killed him.

The good thing about Sarah's story is that she's only 23 and has a long life ahead of her.

Heroin Caucus. 

State Rep. McNeil, said he and another State Rep will be forming what he calls a "heroin caucus" to find ways to combat this epidemic. According to everyone there, this is going to be a banner year.

Parent Support Group

If you have a teenage child suffering from addiction or alcoholism, .this is a place for support and encouragement. This group meets every Thursday, 7 pm, at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, 3231 Tilghman St, Allentown, PA 18104.  For more information, contact Donna Jacobsen at DonnaJacobsen657@gmail.com

I will tell you about other support groups in upcoming posts.

McNeill To Host Second Town Hall Concerning Heroin ODs on Wednesday

In the aftermath of the public interest sparked by his first town hall on the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic, State Rep. Dan McNeill recently hosted a St. Paddy Day fundraiser, not to fill his own coffers, but to fund research. He will also host a second town hall this Wednesday, 6 pm, at American Club Pavilion, 300 Cherry St., Coplay.

“We need to keep this conversation going in order to educate everyone about the seriousness of this issue, McNeill said in a news release. “If we can prevent one young life from being lost, it will be worth it.”

Some of the scheduled speakers include: Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Taylor, Drug Enforcement Agency; Nancy Howe of G.R.A.S.P. (Grief Recovery After A Substance Passing); Donna Jacobsen, parent leader of the Lehigh Valley Parent and Family Support Group; Devin Reaves, Young People in Recovery; and Chelsea Ruane and Sarah McCann, recovering addicts. Several parents who have lost a child to an overdose have also asked to speak.

Parents and students are invited to ask questions and be part of the discussion.

The meeting will continue the conversation about why children get involved with drugs, how drug use can be prevented through education, and what the a community can do to fight back against such destructive behavior with often-tragic results.

McNeill To Host Town Hall About Heroin Epidemic

There's little dispute that heroin overdose deaths have reached all-time highs in Pennsylvania and nationwide, causing more fatalities than car crashes. It's an equal opportunity killer, too. Suburban deaths are steadily climbing. It the heroin is laced with Fentanyl, it becomes 30-50 times more potent. State Rep. Daniel McNeill, D-Lehigh, will host a town hall meeting on the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic that is plaguing the Lehigh Valley.

The event will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Whitehall High School, 3800 Mechanicsville Road, Whitehall in the Large Group Instruction Room.

McNeill will be joined by Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin, Lehigh County Sheriff Joe Hannah, Lehigh County Administrator for Drug and Alcohol Layne Turner, Lehigh County Chief Deputy Coroner Andrew Kehm, Toxicologist in Emergency Medicine for Lehigh Valley Health Network Dr. Matthew Cook, Devin Reaves from Young People in Recovery, representatives from HOPE (Heroin and Opioid Prevention Education), Denise Continenza from Communities That Care/Penn State Extension, and Nicholas Labar, a recovering addict and advocate for clean and sober living. Parents and students are invited to ask questions and be part of the discussion.

The meeting will focus on how and why children get involved with drug use, how to identify children who are abusing the drugs, and what the community can do to fight back and prevent the use and abuse of such addictive narcotics.

If you plan on attending, please consider writing a brief story. I will be covering Bethlehem's Zoning Hearing Board at that time, but I think we all need to know how we can help.

Heroin Epidemic Leads to Fatal Overdose Charges

DA John Morganelli and Forks Tp Police Detective Philomena Kelly announce
charges against dealer who supplied lethal heroin overdose. 

Decrying "the growing epidemic of heroin use in Pennsylvania," NorCo DA John Morganelli on January 5 announced that he had just approved the filing of criminal charges against an accused heroin dealer whose victim died of acute heroin intoxication on August 20, 2015. Daniel Joseph Fisher, age 29, has been charged with "drug delivery resulting in death" as a result of the the heroin overdose death of Thomas O'Brien, Jr., age 27, on August 20, 2015. This is a first degree felony, carrying a maximum penalty of 40 years imprisonment.

These charges are the result of a painstaking investigation conducted by Forks Township Police Department Detective Philomena Kelly, who was credited by Morganelli for her thorough work. Morganelli pledged that the charges will be "vigorously prosecuted," and has assigned the case to Assistant DA Patricia Mulqueen, who heads up the Drug Unit in his office.

Noting that there have been three recent heroin overdose deaths in Northampton County, Morganelli observed that Pennsylvania State Police reportedly have seized four times as much heroin in the second quarter of 2015 than they did in the first.

"It is clear that the trafficking of heroin has reached all parts of Pennsylvania in alarming ways. The citizens must recognize that heroin is a dangerous drug and use of heroin is similar to playing Russian roulette. Those who deal in this poison are also on notice that we will continue to identify those of you who sold heroin that have killed individuals and you will be prosecuted vigorously."

Morganelli said that one of the reasons heroin has become epidemic is because it is so cheap. Noting the proliferation of prescription drugs like Oxycodone and Vicadin, the state's senior prosecutor lamented a "culture of people living on these painkillers" who find that heroin is a cheaper alternative, and easier to get. "There's a pretty strong link between abuse of addictive drugs and heroin," he said.

This investigation began on August 2, 2015, when Thomas O'Brien, Jr., was discovered unresponsive in the restroom at Follett Corporation, a Forks Township company that specializes in manufacturing ice dispensers for both the food service and health industries. Employees immediately began CPR and contacted both Forks Township Police and Suburban EMS.

Though Forks Township Police have no heroin overdose kits, Suburban EMS does and began administering it en route to Easton Hospital. The reason this was done is because officers on scene discovered seven empty heroin baggies and a needle underneath O'Brien's body and an additional needle in his backpack.

O'Brien succumbed on August 24, 2015, and a toxicology report revealed that his death was the result of acute heroin intoxication.

In the meantime, Detective Philomena Kelly began an exhaustive investigation. Through a series of interviews, she determined that there was a strong likelihood that the heroin came from a dealer named "Dan." Family members told Kelly that they had confronted "Dan" about selling heroin to their son, and also identified a picture of a person identified as Forks Township resident Daniel Joseph Fisher, Jr.

Detective Kelly then began examining text messages exchanged between Fisher and O'Brien, establishing both that Fisher was O'Brien's supplier, and that it was in fact Fisher who supplied the seven baggies of heroin and drug paraphernalia that proved to be the direct and immediate cause of O'Brien's death. She also obtained video footage showing Fisher leaving the Follett Company just moments before an unresponsive O'Brien was found She also was able to establish that Fisher purchased needles used for heroin just before his deadly visit.

Fisher is currently housed at the Northampton County jail on an unrelated matter.

Morganelli noted that heroin overdose kits are not in use by many police departments in Northampton County because of inadequate training and concerns about liability. But noting that "many police officers are the first responders," he indicated he is working on a program through the state that might be able to help police departments.

This overdose death is strictly the result of heroin. There have been recent concerns about heroin laced with fentanyl, which is deadly at low levels. Though Detective Kelly has heard these concerns, "I specifically have not seen it."