PA's Drug Recovery Leader Visits Montco, Tours Key Facilities

NORRISTOWN, PA — One of Pennsylvania's leading health officials was in Montgomery County last week to promote the state's ongoing efforts at battling opioid abuse.

Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary, attended community roundtables, listening sessions, and recovery center visits to get firsthand insight on the crisis.

"The management of the overdose crisis will take all of us working together – state and local governments and those providing the direct boots-on-the-ground responses and supports," Davis-Jones said in a statement. "To know what’s working and what’s not working in Montgomery County is vital to this effort and I’m grateful for the opportunity to hear from the local voices brought to the table."

The county just received a unique grant from the Centers for Disease Control to help fight overdoses.

Related: $4.4 Million CDC Grant Awarded To Montgomery Co. To Fight Overdoses

The renewed focus on the overdose crisis comes as Pennsylvania saw an estimated 5,147 drug overdose deaths in the past year, according to the most recent statistics and estimates from the CDC. Montgomery County, meanwhile, saw 187 deaths in the most recently tracked year-long span, Pennsylvania Department Health data shows.