JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WJAC) — Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jen Smith traveled to Cambria County Tuesday to meet with local stakeholders and county officials as the department begins a state tour to discuss how to combat the increase in overdose deaths across the commonwealth.

Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary led the discussion that focused on what has worked and where changes need to be made.

With much of the state shuttered indoors due to the pandemic, overdose deaths topped 5,000 statewide last year for the first time since 2017.

Smith said that local and state health leaders need to double down on efforts to address substance use disorder, adding that covid really taught us there really is a connection between mental health issues and substance use disorder.

But one thing Smith said has been vital is a shift in people’s attitudes towards drug users.

“Just in the last five years we’ve seen a shift in attitudes,” Smith said. “We’re starting to see that change in stigma, change in language, change in attitude where we believe that helping people is absolutely necessary.”

Stephanie Laboo of Johnstown said she was an addict for 37 years. Now 18 months sober after getting clean at the start of the pandemic, she urged Smith to make free Narcan more widely available.

“I know people out there who need that Narcan to keep themselves living because you can die at the snap of a finger,” Laboo said. “I know, I did it twice and I’m here to talk about it today.”

Laboo said that while simply having it available may seem prudent, putting a cost on it will make it unlikely that those who need it will seek it.

"In reality, the money they have they have for their addiction, they don’t have it for a co-pay," Laboo said.

Smith said the ideas and conversations she gets on the tour will help shape the future, as the state plans to release a new report on the drug crisis next year.

“This is going to be a really important plan to have in place so that we can say to the next governor and his staff ‘look we talked to people all over the state,’ and they’ll have that package complete and hit the ground running,” Smith said.

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