Delaware County celebrates drug prevention, recovery in Rose Tree Park Saturday

UPPER PROVIDENCE » Celebrating recovery and prevention, Delaware County Council will join the Delaware County Heroin Task Force, District Attorney Katayoun Copeland, chair of the Heroin Task Force, and the Partners for Success Coalition to hold the fourth annual Celebrating Prevention Community Day on from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 21, Rose Tree Park.

“Community Day is a day designated to celebrate prevention and recovery. It is about coming together as a collective community, sharing personal recovery stories and recognizing that overcoming addiction is happening, and that recovery is possible,” said Copeland. “We know that our nation and our county is battling a prescription drug and heroin epidemic. But we also know that people are overcoming addiction with assistance from county resources, such as our Certified Recovery Specialist program.”

Each year the event is held to raise awareness about drug abuse and addiction in a family friendly setting with activities that celebrate prevention and recovery. In addition to free food and live music, various participating drug prevention and rehabilitation organizations provide resources and services for parents and teens.

At the event, the Heroin Task Force Mobile Drug Collection Unit will be on site for residents to dispose of their expired and unwanted medications. Through the county-wide drug drop box program, more than 20,000 pounds of drugs have been collected since October 2013. Since the start of this year alone, more than 1,000 pounds of drugs have been collected by the unit.

Also at the event, the Heroin Task Force and Partners for Success Coalition will recognize the 2018 Prevention Partner Award recipients, who were selected for their outstanding and dedicated work in prevention and education. These individuals include Sgt. Anthony Vaughn, who has been a police officer with the Upper Darby Township Police Department for 20 years and has been an integral part of the Narcotics Overdose Prevention & Education (NOPE) Task Force of Delaware County since its inception in 2014. Also being recognized are six 6th grade students from East Lansdowne Elementary School for their efforts toward prevention in their community including participating in Red Ribbon Week.

The Delaware County Heroin Task Force was formed in September 2012 to raise awareness about the epidemic of prescription drug and heroin abuse impacting the nation and the county. The task force has been able to effectively implement strategies through key partnerships, including elected officials, influential leaders, community partners, and businesses. Interest in the Heroin Task Force grew so rapidly that the Task Force formed the Partners for Success Coalition to work along with the Heroin Task Force and local communities to fight addiction. For information, visit co.delaware.pa.us