Nearly 50 people turned out for “Drug Addiction in Luzerne County” presented by Mountain Top Area Community Association and CleanSlate Addiction Treatment Centers.
The presentation was held on May 26 at Crestwood High School.
Attendees heard from representatives of law enforcement, prosecution, the county coroner’s office, the court system, recovering addicts and alcoholics, and those involved in treatment and rehabilitation.
The common theme among those participants involved in the criminal justice system was the prevalence of alcohol and drugs among criminal arrests. At the same time, practitioners in the addiction field emphasized that help and treatment are readily available for people with addiction issues.
Attorney Tom Marsilio, of Mountain Top, a defense attorney and former assistant district attorney, talked about his 20-year battle with alcoholism. Marsilio, who has been sober for 37 years, emphasized that alcoholism is a disease, but there is help. “It’s a problem that is not insurmountable,” the veteran attorney offered. He estimated that in his career as a criminal defense attorney and prosecutor 90 percent of the cases brought before a judge involved alcohol and/or drugs.
Magisterial District Judge Ferris Webby, also of Mountain Top, estimated that in his 37 years as a public defender and trial lawyer, and three years as district judge, 90 to 95 criminal cases in which he was involved were directly or indirectly related to drugs and/or alcohol. As a public defender, he related, the 17 homicide cases in which he was involved, all but one involved drugs or alcohol. “It (addiction) impacts the user, family, friends and the community,” Webby stated.
On a positive note, Webby pointed out the high success rate of the Luzerne County Drug Treatment Court. “It’s become a model for the state,” he noted. “The judicial system is doing everything it can to help.”
Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce also lauded the importance and success of the Drug Treatment Court. “We’ve learned over the years that you can’t arrest your way out of this problem,” Sanguedolce stated. His first assistant, Mountain Top resident Tony Ross, a veteran prosecutor described the dramatic increase in drug-related arrests in Luzerne County over the last two decades. Over the last 12 months, Ross related, the DA’s drug unit has handled over 1,200 cases. “Heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamines are killing people,” he warned.
Ross also pointed to the importance of the Drug Treatment Court, noting its 70 percent success rate. “There is a big difference between people who need help with addiction and people who are preying on people on the street,” he noted.
Coroner Frank Hacken, a former state police lieutenant, told the audience that 75 percent of the drug overdose deaths his office investigates involve fentanyl.
“The fentanyl that’s out there is very strong,” Hacken warned. “The focus needs to be on the demand (for drugs).
“Drugs are a social, psychological, mental health, family, educational and religious problem.”
Dr. Mark Bohn a center medical director for CleanSlate and a certified addiction specialist, gave a presentation on the impact of fentanyl, its strength as related to heroin and availability.
Ryan Hogan, director of the Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Drug & Alcohol Program, talked about the impact of drugs and alcohol on the community and the availability of services.
“Everyone in this community has been touched in some way by drugs and alcohol,” Hogan stated. He emphasized though, that recovery is possible and pointed to the various treatment providers present for the symposium.
