Shapiro targets dealers in opioid fight – Sharonherald

MERCER Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has his sights set on drug dealers.

Shapiro laid out his three-year plan Thursday during a meeting with community leaders at the Mercer County courthouse.

We have got to lock up the dealers, Shapiro said. Were using, to the fullest extent of the law, every tool weve been given to charge these dealers who are peddling poison in our community with the most we can possibly charge them.

CORY BYKNISH | Herald

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro met with Mercer County community leaders Thursday at the courthouse to discuss the states drug crisis.

Shapiro said his office has arrested three dealers a day every single day Ive been in office.

And he said he has doubled diversion arrests, which is when someone uses a legal prescription for illegal purposes.

But arrests are not enough, Shapiro said. Finding a solution to the opioid crisis requires more.

You have got to get at the root cause of it, Shapiro said. Which is why Im one of leaders in a massive, bipartisan, multi-state investigation into people dealing in the manufacturing industry, the pharmaceutical investigation.

But even with all his tough talk on enforcement, the attorney general also knows there is another group to consider those who are addicted to opioids.

Thats why he has called for state and federal action on providing greater access to treatment and pushed limiting access to the drugs in the first place.

Its why Ive tried to encourage Pennsylvanians to join us in this fight and dispose of their unused prescription drugs, Shapiro said. Because we know 80 percent of heroin addicts start with a prescription, and 70 percent of them get it from a friend or relative or out of a medicine cabinet.

Shapiro said there was also a robust discussion on the immunity law or Good Samaritan law during the community meeting.

Pennsylvanias immunity law lets people call for help in a drug overdose incident without facing arrest. The law, and the use of the overdose antidote drug Narcan, are part of the debate over the right way to tackle the opioid crisis.

Narcan is an effective tool for law enforcement and first responders. It is not the ultimate answer, Shapiro said. There has to be an element of personal responsibility here. For someone who is trying to take responsibility to get well and break their cycle of addiction, then I think we in law enforcement and government have a responsibility to invest in that individual.

And even though law enforcers and municipal authorities have expressed concern over how Narcan will be funded, Shapiro said that it does not necessarily require more money.

But it does require us to utilize our resources in a smarter way, Shapiro said.

CORY BYKNISH | Herald

Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro told community leaders at the round-table discussion that his office has arrested three opioid dealers a day everyday since he took office.

Those who attended the roundtable discussion included the Mercer County commissioners, county District Attorney Miles K. Karson, police officers, Behavioral Health Commission workers and legislators.

I thought it was very positive, county Coroner John A. Libonati said. It was a great opportunity to hear the steps that the AGs office is making and to clarify their position on moving forward, and how strongly theyre really attacking this issue. It was a great opportunity to let us know that they are on board and willing to help.

Karson expressed his frustration and urged policy makers there state Rep. Tedd Nesbit, R-Grove City, 8th District, and state Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Jamestown to tighten up the immunity law.

I cant emphasize that enough, Karson said. Some of these people are recycled (through the court system) two, three, four times.

Karson added that the length of prison sentences is also an issue.

When I see who I consider to be a major drug dealer get one, two years in state prison to me thats very, very minor, he said. Were not sending a good message to constituency in our community.

Shapiro asked for help specifically from county commissioners and police to share concerns with legislators and his office.

Weve got to work together on this, Shapiro said. To just maintain that open that line of communication. The flow of information is going to be critical so we can protect the people in Mercer and Crawford ... and all over Pennsylvania.

Shapiros office charged an Allegheny County man with drug delivery resulting in death. The man allegedly sold a heroin-fentanyl combination to a man who died of an overdose.

This is a legal tactic Shapiros office is increasingly using in the fight against the heroin and opioid epidemic, he said.

The arrest is the first time the charge was used by the attorney generals office in Allegheny County. A conviction is punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

If you sell drugs and someone dies as a result, youre facing a first-degree felony, and youre going to jail, Shapiro said. This tough charge is one key piece in our all-out fight to take down drug dealers and battle the heroin and opioid epidemic raging across this commonwealth.

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Shapiro targets dealers in opioid fight - Sharonherald