Dr. Oz Airs Segment On Philadelphia's Heroin Hub

Dr. Mehmet Oz, known by fans as simply Dr. Oz, paid a visit to Philadelphia recently. While in the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, Oz went to a heroin-plagued area near the city's West Kensington and Farilhill neighborhoods where users get high.

Today, April 18, the TV doctor aired his segment on his visit to the area.

Oz went to the area, which he calls a "hellscape," with Philadelphia DEA Special Agent Gary Tuggle and said what he saw there "changed him forever."

The segment aired at 1 p.m. on Fox 29 but you can see clips from Oz's discussion on the area at his website here.

Philly.com reports in Oz's clips, officials place the blame on Conrail, which owns the property that is home to the "shooting gallery" where heroin users inject the drug.

Even Tuesday morning Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney's office sent out an email reminder of the Philadlephia Inquirer's editorial piece that says Conrail should be proactive in cleaning up the area.

Oz posted a response from Conrail on his website. It reads as such:

We agree with Dr. Oz that the opioid crisis in Philadelphia is tragic. This is an urgent public health and public safety issue in the community and on our railroad property and we are taking added steps to secure our property. But we believe the best solution must be holistic and involve the City of Philadelphia as well as the community organizations with whom we continue to partner and work productively.We want to get this right and can’t address it effectively alone. Conrail’s prior experience has shown that merely addressing the issue on our property – without a community solution -- is a stopgap answer at best. The problem soon returns.We want to work in full partnership with the city and are committed to a solution.

Oz reportedly asked Tuggle what would happen were two impenetrable walls to be erected around the area.

Tuggle's response?

“That would only push it somewhere else," Philly.com reports.

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