FBI Pittsburgh Starts Program To Combat Opioid Epidemic
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Despite the pandemic, the opioid epidemic is still here and numbers show it's getting worse.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has seen an increase in overdose deaths.
"I would say no segment of society is free from addiction," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Doug Olsen with FBI Pittsburgh.
Statistics show drugs have touched almost every area of Allegheny County in the last year and nearly 600 people died from an overdose. One contributing factor: the COVID-19 pandemic.
"People suffering from substance abuse lost their jobs, and the CDC reported that 13 percent of Americans turned to substance and alcohol to cope with the pandemic," said Brian Dempsey with Pittsburgh's DEA unit.
The FBI and DEA are working on enforcement from the distributors with health care companies, street crime and the dark web. One challenge is that not everything happens in person anymore.
"We are seeing an increase in people using WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook to communicate with their dealers," Dempsey said.
That's where the education piece comes into play. The FBI's HOPE initiative helps provide the tools to the public, especially parents to talk to their kids about these rising trends.
"Have a conversation with our children, let them know that there is a lot of products out there, a lot of counterfeits. You might think you are buying Xanax, it might be fentanyl, you don't know what's on the streets. Be aware of your kids' social media presence, who they are connecting with online and through their social media programs," Dempsey said.
According to the latest overdose data, people ages 35 to 44 make up the at-risk population in Allegheny County.
