Drug overdose is a major health and safety concern. From 2000 to 2015, more than a half-million people in the U.S. died from drug overdose.

Chester County is not immune to this epidemic, as in 2017, there were 144 accidental drug overdoses in the county.

The Chester County Overdose Prevention Task Force was formed to prevent overdose deaths in Chester County through a multidisciplinary, coordinated effort among government departments, community organizations, and treatment providers. Its vision is to ensure safe and healthy communities free of overdose deaths for Chester County residents.

The Task Force has unveiled a website – entitled “Stop Overdose Chester County” – in an effort to increase awareness of the problems of substance misuse, to increase knowledge of strategies for preventing substance misuse, and to use overdose-related data to inform prevention efforts.

“The opioid and heroin crisis remains a very big concern that we, as a county, have been cooperatively addressing for some time,” said Michelle Kichline, Chair of the Chester County Commissioners. “We’re talking to doctors about prescription practices, we’re undertaking law enforcement measures that make it harder to source the drugs in the county, we’re educating young people to try and prevent greater use in the future, and we’re working with emergency responders and hospitals to provide the right treatment options for overdose survivors.”

Click here to access the website “Stop Overdose Chester County.”

[uam_ad id=”80503″]

.

[uam_ad id=”80502″]

_______

As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, VISTA.Today may use affiliate marketing links and receive a commission based upon sales made from them.