The Jefferson Educational Society, “Erie’s think tank for community progress,” held the 2017 graduation for the Jefferson Civic Leadership Academy last Thursday, January 11, after the group of 23 members worked nearly 7 months towards a resolution for a statewide and national epidemic; the opioid crisis.

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Governor Tom Wolf declared the heroin and opioid epidemic a statewide disaster emergency last Wednesday, January 10, according to the Governor’s website. “While we have made progress in combating the heroin and opioid abuse crisis and drastically expanded Pennsylvania’s response, we are still losing far too many Pennsylvanians,” Governor Wolf said. “I am taking this step to protect Pennsylvanians from this looming public health crisis, and I am using every tool at my disposal to get those suffering from substance use disorders into treatment, save more lives, and improve response coordination.” This came just over two months after President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. Both actions show significant initiative towards finding a solution for “the deadliest drug crisis in american history,” according to the New York Times.

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On a smaller but equally impactful level came the #ErieOpioidProject through the Jefferson Educational Society, where many of the 2017 graduates agreed “If we can help one person get to treatment, it’s worth it.” The group, predominantly ranging from ages 25-45, spent over 74 hours together, not including the countless hours of planning and reflection, to brainstorm ways of solving the national issue which has hit Erie County in full force. “We took this huge issue and we sat down at the table and talked,” said group member Tyler Titus, “the problem is people are afraid to talk about it.” he continued. “The opioid epidemic is complex and has numerous layers as to why it is so difficult to resolve.”

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A study found that the use of heroin increases the probability of committing a crime, but not violent crime, and that the criminality the user engages in is most likely to purchase more illicit drugs, according to OpenSIUC, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Research.

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The 74 hours also did not include any group activities, such as their trip to Harrisburg where the group had the opportunity to meet Governor Wolf and discuss the issue. Titus felt that Governor wolf “knew what he was talking about” and seemed to have an actual plan to make a difference. 2017 graduate Brad Wiertel agreed, stating “[the group] walked out feeling he had a grip on the issues in the state, especially the opioid epidemic.”

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“It isn’t an addict problem, it’s a community problem,” said 2017 graduate Kristin Bowers. Bowers joined the group because of her passion for the issue, she wanted to get involved with “what I think is important for the community.” Bowers believes the issue will get worse before it gets better, as evident by record breaking 121 drug related deaths in Erie County in 2017. She hopes the accomplishments of the group will help ease red tape and “relax some rules, making it easier to get treatment.”

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The Jefferson Educational Society provides great opportunities for networking, according to Bowers. The 2017 graduate group chooses a focus for the 2018 group, “something we think is important for the community,” said Bowers.

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Videographer and 2017 graduate Jessica Yochim, along with 2017 graduate Natalia Garcia, made PSA videos to “spread awareness” and “break stigmas surrounding addiction,” according to Yochim. Addiction begins with issues people may have during their youth that turn into mental health issues, which eventually leads to self-medication, then addiction, according to Yochim. While this is not always the case, people with mood, anxiety or social disorders are approximately twice as likely as the general public to abuse drugs, according to drugabuse.com. The awareness campaign video can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube using #ErieOpioidProject. The video includes interviews with addicts, recovering addicts, people working in the field of addiction and family members of addicts with hopes to “grab awareness through storytelling,” said Yochim. The group understands that the issue spreads far beyond Erie County, although according to Yochim it is important to “take care of our own community before tackling bigger scale.”

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The graduates from the 2017 Jefferson Civic Leadership Academy are working on spreading their results with hopes of instituting a positive change to the opioid crisis.

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For more information, please visit https://www.jeserie.org/programs/public-policy-institute/research-studies-book-publications