Voices from uphill battle against opioids

The battle against opioid abuse is not going away.

In fact, given the numbers, you could say it’s getting worse.

Officials in Philadelphia sounded alarms over the weekend when an astounding 165 people overdosed, most likely from tainted heroin that had filled the streets of Kensington, the epicenter of the city’s opioid and heroin epidemic.

But the numbers – and the constant drumbeat of forums and opioid awareness events – taking place in the suburbs underlie the troubling truth about this health crisis: It does not recognize geographic borders, nor any socio-economic model, nor any age or demographic limits.

It is an equal opportunity menace.

Just ask Michael DiMaio. He shares his story – as both a warning to the dangers of drug use as well as a lifeline to those in the throes of addiction.

His message? He’s been there. You can get out, turn your life around. That’s what DiMaio did, detailing in painstaking detail his 24-year battle with addiction.

DiMaio was a featured speaker at the “Share Your Opioid Story” community discussion sponsored by the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Penn State University and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation.

The forum is traveling to 10 sites across the state collecting stories of the battle against addiction – and sharing inspirations in the hopes of reducing the stigma tied to addicts while offering them hope – and a path to escape.

DiMaio laid bare his soul, telling of his journey through 11 rehab centers and 14 detox programs between 1989 to 2003. His girlfriend died in front of him as he held her 9-month-old baby. He racked up a series of arrests for DUIs and assault.

Today, after a 28-day detox program, he follows the 12-step program to stay clean and sober. He’s in college studying to be a paralegal.

He wanted to use his saga as proof to those still fighting the demons of addiction that you can escape. He is living proof.

“I just want people to know that if you’re out there and you’re struggling, you’re not alone,” DiMaio told those gathered. “There’s 23 million Americans living in recovery. What we need, as a society is to get rid of the stigma.” In a town meeting this week, Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland was joined by representatives from CrozerKeystone Recovery Center, certified recovery specialists and other outreach experts.

Copeland stressed the opioid epidemic has changed the nature of her job. It’s no longer enough to simply prosecute, she now is battling the root causes of addiction, as well as how to keep communities safe from explosion of quality of life crimes associated with heroin and opioid abuse.

It’s an uphill battle. The suburban counties have been at the forefront of that battle establishing task forces, putting the overdose-reversing drug Naloxone into the hands of first responders, and prosecuting doctors for doling out prescriptions without an examination.

Experts say painkillers are playing a big part in the explosion of heroin use. People often start out with a legitimate prescription, then find themselves quickly hooked and looking for a cheaper alternative when the prescription expires, too often turning to heroin.

In Delaware County alone, Naloxone has been used by law enforcement and first responders more than 1,100 times since David’s Law went into effect in November 2014.

Talking about it – openly as DiMaio did – might be the first step in the long battle to reverse the trend.

“I just want people to know that if you’re out there and you’re struggling, you’re not alone. There’s 23 million Americans living in recovery. What we need, as a society is to get rid of the stigma.”