Pennsylvania Launches “Opioid Data Dashboard” Online Resource For Prevention, Rescue, and Treatment

Pennsylvania is launching a new “opioid data dashboard” that offers resources for people who are battling the ongoing drug epidemic.

The online data dashboard is just one among several strategies being implemented by the Opioid Operational Command Center created by Gov. Wolf. With the help of multiple agencies, the Center tracks and monitors Pennsylvania’s progress in curbing opioid addiction and overdoses.

The opioid command center was developed to organize data relevant to the opioid crisis, and now offers a single online resource where information regarding Pennsylvania’s fight against addiction is gathered. It allows citizens to view the state’s effort in its battle against substance abuse, and also offers local officials and other involved agencies the ability to analyze data and identify areas where efforts may be expended.

According to the governor’s office, the opioid dashboard “focuses on data sets in the three main areas distinguished by Governor Wolf in his disaster declaration: prevention, rescue, and treatment. It also shows data at the county-level.”

Early this year, Gov. Wolf declared the opioid epidemic to be a public health emergency, an action that allowed for the expansion of addiction treatment and the development of other strategies to battle substance abuse in the state.

According to a 2017 report by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in 2016, more than 4,600 people died in Pennsylvania from overdoses related to drugs or alcohol, an increase of 37% from 2015.

Nationwide, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death. In 2016, there were more than 64,000 overdose deaths, a marked increase from 52,000 in 2015. Of those from 2016, more than 42,000 involved a prescription or illicit opioid, up from 33,000 in 2015.

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If you or someone you love is abusing substances, please seek treatment as soon as possible. There are many resources available to help you or your loved one.

Please call us today at +888-380-0342 for a free consultation.

~ G. Nathalee Serrels, M.A., Psychology

References

https://data.pa.gov/stories/s/9q45-nckt/
https://www.overdosefreepa.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/DEA-Analysis-of-Overdose-Deaths-in-Pennsylvania-2016.pd_-1.pdf