 Okay, why don't we if we could get started I I would like to say before we're going to talk about naloxone But before we start I'd just like to make a point about what happened in Orlando Over the weekend that was a tragedy That was an act of terror. It was a hate crime. It was the worst evidence of mass shooting that has ever happened in this country ever and We need to understand as Pennsylvanians and as Americans that we are better than this the evil that Showed itself reared its ugly head over the weekend is not us and I want to make sure the the Families and the loved ones of the victims Understand that Pennsylvanians extend their deepest sympathy and their deepest condolences To all of them who suffered over the weekend. So if we could just maybe have a brief time of silence, I would appreciate it Okay, thank you very much and thank you all for being here I want to thank all of you for for joining me here today I want to acknowledge a few people lieutenant governor Mike Stack who's going to say a few words Okay, secretary Gary tennis Dr. Rachel Levine State representative Mike Verbe who's back here And Northern Lancaster Regional Police Chief Dave Stephan They've used to be in York County and Chris Benedetto Chris Want to make sure that Welcome you and everybody for being here. There are a couple of things I want to just point out today The first is that we Wanted I want to announce that all of us have been successful in saving over a thousand lives with naloxone in just a little over a year since we Started prescribing that that's a big Let's just remind ourselves how we got here last year dr. Levine Issued a standing order actually she did two things first of all she made it available to law enforcement officials and up until last year I think there was only one county was a Delaware County that had Access to naloxone, but after dr. Levine did what she did Every law enforcement officer and firefighters Had access to it in Pennsylvania the second thing she did was Issue a standing order basically a prescription for all almost 13 million Pennsylvanians to make it available to all of us so that we can go to a pharmacy and we can actually Take advantage of the prescription We all have if we know someone using the good Samaritan legislation that passed the house in the Senate a few years ago Was it a few years ago? Am I right at that that we can use that to to give this drug to a loved one who is suffering Since that time, I'm gonna get this right state and local police Firefighters sheriffs first responders school officials and citizens at large have begun to carry this Highly effective tool in the fight against opioid and heroin abuse So that's what we've done and it has led to the thousand save Life savings that we've had so far now. This isn't incredibly important I've gone around to have round tables and we've got to recognize that this is absolutely necessary To address the scourge of opioid abuse in Pennsylvania, but it's not sufficient It's a first step I mean one of the things is you bring someone back that person needs to have follow-on treatment and That just simply bringing someone back is not enough on the other hand If we don't bring someone back from death, then we'll never get the chance to provide the treatment that person needs that that Victim needs so so this is really important. It's a very important first step And and we have to make sure that we keep doing what we're doing in this regard fourth thing is my administration is Committed to doing whatever we can to continue to confront the challenge Now I put 34 million dollars into my budget which was going to be matched by hope with 18 million dollars from the federal government Which would mean over 50 million dollars for 50? Treatment centers centers for excellence around the state that would allow for the post treatment ongoing treatment and reintegration into the society and the economy of Over 11,000 victims of substance use disorder. The idea is that that these are not detox Treatment centers. These are not treatment centers where someone lives For 30 60 90 days, but after that treatment. This is the handoff to get that person back into society And so it has Again, it's it's a start. It's just part of what we need But I think the reason there's such bipartisan support for this is that we all recognize that that we cannot arrest our way to a cure That we have a criminal justice problem here that there are people who are preying on the victims of substance use disorder And we've got to treat them as the criminals they are But there are too many people in our prisons who are suffering from a medical problem And we could treat them more effectively and save more lives and do it all with a lot less money If we treated this as the disease that it really is so there's real good bipartisan support for this Like we all want to do the right thing because it's it's right, but also because it's actually very smart So this is this is a really important thing that that we're trying to do with the 34 million and if I've heard criticism of it I've heard some criticism that you know We want to make sure that we're doing this the right way But by and large if there's any criticism is are we sure that this is enough in the first pass? So so I think this is something that really does enjoy bipartisan support We've also had we at this point have 450 drug take-back boxes drop boxes And the idea there is that that you know you end up with a prescription for oxy codon And and you have more pills than you need. What are you going to do with them? You can't flush them down a toilet You don't want to leave them in the medicine cabinet because that could be place that somebody finds them and steals them So put them in a drug a drug drop box We now have 450 of those the goal is to have at least one in every county We have at least one in 60 counties, so we still have seven counties without a drop box, but we're working on that We're trying to make the Transition to behavioral health care in our managed care Operations more seamless and easier We are instituting a warm handoff policy so that health providers when someone comes in with substance use disorder They can Seamlessly go to a treatment center obviously we need more treatment centers to make that that available But we also need to make sure that that that people in the health care field feel comfortable in in handing off We're trying to do behind-the-walls treatment in our prisons to try to make sure that People who have been incarcerated and for a period of time That we help them with the transition to life beyond the walls and that that we expedite see the Their transition to behavioral health treatment centers, so we're doing more we and we want to continue to do more We've talked to medical schools and deans of medical schools recognize that they need to do a better job of integrating Substance use disorder that problem that disease into their medical curricula and they're doing that We need to have prescribing guidelines We have a prescription drug monitoring program that goes into full effect in August You know are there some things we can do to make that even more effective than then we think it's it's going to be So there are a lot of things that we've done, but there are also a lot of things That we can do but it all comes back to why we're here today And that is we've saved a thousand lives with naloxone. This is something that citizens And and officials all across the state have done in just a year That's a thousand people that we've had access to we've had the possibility of actually getting a Cure of actually addressing the fundamental problems that that that they struggle with and that's a really good thing So naloxone is not the the solution to everything, but it's a start and I'm really proud of what we've accomplished in the years So I am I'm going to come back for for some questions We'll all be able to answer questions, but let me turn this over to Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack for a few comments Thank you. Thank you. Thanks very much Thank You Governor Wolf for your great leadership on this extremely important issue and What an honor to be here with so many law enforcement officers and these great folks from the legislature both Republican and Democrat as We mark a milestone of a thousand lives saved through the use of the naloxone a Pennsylvania in the nation as the governor said are in the midst of the worst drug epidemic in Recorded history, and I know you all heard the statistic But it bears saying again at least seven Pennsylvanians die every day from a drug overdose Nationwide we are likely to lose more Americans to overdose This year then we lost in all 12 years of the Vietnam War That's a terrible human tragedy for those we lose and their families and loved ones It touches people from every part of this state and from every demographic background This epidemic has such a detrimental Detrimental impact on the broader community too. It puts that emotional stress on medical providers Additional stress on schools a large portion of crimes are of course committed in communities as a result of untreated or Undertreated addiction and it puts additional stress on law enforcement police officers must deal with both the Illegal drug trade and of course all the ancillary crime But in the midst of carrying out their duty to protect public safety police officers More and more often also step up and fill that vital Caring role of saving the lives of those plagued with opioid addiction And it's so inspiring to realize what an accomplishment this is To have saved a thousand lives from naloxone in such a short period of time It's great news, but it's also a grim reminder of just how widespread this problem is and of course the work as Governor Wolf said that lies in front of us We must have a comprehensives comprehensive effort to educate young people We must make sure that medical providers know the dangers associated with Prescription drug use and it's amazing. They still don't we must de-stigmatize the disease of addiction and We must help those who are afflicted with this disease get treatment And as governor will said once again to make sure they continue on that road to recovery so Under the leadership of governor wolf who has you know, we've got to commend him Because he has made addressing this epidemic a top priority of our administration And of course through the able and energetic work of secretary Dennis and dr. Levine Pennsylvania is already setting an example for the rest of the nation in our fight against opioid addiction and Overdose deaths the sales the thousand lives saved so far through overdose reversals Speaks to the willingness of local police departments throughout, Pennsylvania And as you can see often these troopers are in the back row But they are often on the front lines But to have us all be in a collaborative effort it speaks to the Willingness of our law enforcement officers to go above and beyond their responsibilities to make a difference in Fighting this health care crisis. So to every officer who has saved the life Thank you From the bottom of our hearts. Thank you so much What you have done is Essential not just for the person whose life was on the brink But for all of us every one of us Pennsylvanians as we battle to conquer this health care scourge. So it's now a pleasure to introduce I think Governor Wolf you did a tremendous job in Recruiting a secretary tennis to to our cabinet and he's done a wonderful job in Being on the front lines to fight this disease I think he's he's the best secretary of drug and education in America secretary Gary Tennis It was about a year and a half ago now that Governor Wolf took over and I remember the second full day of the the wolf administration being in a meeting room with the governor Dr. Levine and and others to look at how can we move forward as quickly as possible to get in a lock zone Into the hands of our state troopers This exemplifies the deep and passionate commitment that Governor Wolf has brought and it was a first priority Both in time and in priority for this at the wolf administration And I want to first and foremost I want to thank you Governor Wolf for your strong leadership and your powerful commitment to addressing this This overdose epidemic is ripping through our communities. It's tearing apart our families We have always suffered with drug and alcohol addiction and untreated or undertreated drug and alcohol addiction It has always been in one out of four families But now because of what happened with it with the the gross over prescribing of opioids It's that's ramped up over the past 20 years. We are in the midst of the worst overdose epidemic and the history of all humanity this is Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and I want to also express my tremendous pride in the law enforcement officers both our state troopers and our municipal police officers who have had the vision and the courage and the Commitment to protect and serve to carry naloxone across the state We have a really truly dedicated police force and enlightened police force and across this state And and I don't think that we could possibly express enough appreciation. This isn't what they signed up for This is what they have been asked to do and they have really taken I think an enlightened and committed Stance in carrying out this efforts and that's evidenced in a thousand human beings that are here walking This the the face of Pennsylvania the streets of Pennsylvania, and they're still with us today As governor Wolf said it is critical that that we move beyond just keeping people alive We know that most people who die of overdoses die have suffered overdoses before So I want you to know and I have in my hands the policy that the Wolf administration has put out to all of our county drug and alcohol directors and with the work we've done with hospitals to Make sure that our end of our folks when they were when they do survive an overdose that they actually are given They are Transferred over to drug and alcohol treatment to get better. We are already having great success in Berks County I heard that they're getting two out of three overdose survivors Directly into treatment here in Dauphin County and in Washington County We know that they're actually sending case managers out to the overdose site to begin the intervention right there on the spot To make sure these folks get to the emergency departments and from there get into treatment We want to get people into recovery at the end of the day What we are fighting for is we're fighting for the sacredness of human the insanity of human life And we're also fighting for these people for their recovery We've got to keep them alive to get them into recovery right now today We have 23 million Americans in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and these individuals are our best and Finest citizens in the country. They are out there just doing God's work every day We need to keep them alive so that they can get there. Thank you. Oh And now it's my honor to introduce the Doctor who signed this historic standing order something that's worth going to medical school alone to do I'm Full of envy for that and thank you for doing that and thank you for your commitment to this dr. Rachel Avina Good afternoon. I'm very pleased to be here and thank you governor Wolf Lieutenant governor stack secretary tennis leaders from the General Assembly our partners in the public safety community and in the treatment community and of course our law enforcement officers as Has been noted the prescription opioid and heroin overdose crisis is the worst public health crisis in Pennsylvania and in the nation and their response under governor Wolf's leadership is an Interagency response. It's all hands on deck for this crisis. We know Evidence of a thousand lives saved that providing our first responders with naloxone saves lives And will we be one piece of the puzzle to stem this public health crisis of opioid overdose deaths? substance substance abuse disorder and opioid use disorder are Diseases they are not a moral failing. We have to get past the stigma associated with these medical Conditions everyone's life deserve to be saved and everyone deserves a chance for recovery Naloxone is a life-saving medication. It is safe and effective It does not cause someone to get high. It is not addictive and it's safe to use It has one use and one use only and that's to reverse the fatal effects of an opioid drug overdose Naloxone can save the life of sovereign someone suffering from addiction and an overdose from these prescription opioids and from heroin Giving them an opportunity to get their treatment that they need and a chance for recovery It can also be used to reverse the effects the effects of an accidental drug poisoning The medication has been used successfully by police fire and other first responders and today's event is a recognition of that success Additionally, the medication can be used by a family member or friend who can use it to save the life of one of their loved ones Often it is a family member or friend who is the is first to find an overdose victim in minutes Can be the difference between life and death? I encourage anyone who is suffering with an opioid addiction or regularly takes prescription opioids as Well as their families to obtain naloxone for their homes As the governor noted last year I signed two standing order of prescriptions The first was for the first responders to carry naloxone and the second was for the general public To obtain naloxone for them for themselves a friend or family member This allows anyone in Pennsylvania to walk into a participating pharmacy and secure naloxone Under my prescription now of course once it is administered It is critical that the patient then go to the hospital first for further medical treatment and then for the warm handoff Or the facilitated referral for treatment that has been noted and working with Secretary tennis we are working on emergency department warm handoff Guidelines or a clinical pathway in the emergency department for someone to get involved and hooked up with treatment These prescription opioid and heroin crisis requires a coordinated response from all of us and under governor Will's leadership we are working towards that end So thank you to the police for your partnership and for protecting the public health and the public safety. Thank you And now it is my pleasure to introduce representative Mike Verib who is chair of the criminal justice advisory committee of the Pennsylvania committee for crime and delinquency I Stand here as the secretary said his chairman of C. Jack and on behalf of our chairman of PCC D Josh Shapiro and Josh always reminds me to stay on script and he always knows that I go off script Because I've heard some of these speeches ahead of me and governor I hope you don't mind me doing this to your press conference, but what your administration is doing and Gary you got my call Right after I was meeting with your staff about one of my gigantic dollar policies I got a call from my sister that my nephew once again Got hit again could not survive going without her one Needle out of his arm Young son right next to him for my sister to find so it hits all of us doesn't gene doesn't it Michelle It's it hits all of us and that's why I think the work of this administration to work at his legislature I think we all understand that we're not here celebrating that we saved a thousand lives We are here to say thank you because what you also need to understand is that with PCC D's commitment of $120,000 so far and more to come for this naloxone You're asking police officers in the words of the chief police of Horsham Township in Montgomery County You're asking them to revive this person in one case. They're calling it three first So police officers who a year or two ago Would have arrested and had those folks incarcerated or instead saving their lives So this is the beginning part of the message our police are our triage officers and PCC D is going to remain Committed to support our police not just with the naloxone But the training necessary to use of naloxone the dropbox is the future money that we can put out there It's so important to to deal with this storm because that's really what we're doing If if if heroin was a natural storm We would be in a 365 day a year state of emergency if you think about the numbers The only way we're going to deal with it from a PCC D perspective Is the help of policy to make sure the money goes in places? They're going to be effective to fix what is going on and to have the global look that this Administration the Senate the house are working together on and recognize no one in this room when this Commonwealth has a single answer It's going to be a collective message that we must work on together We must share our passions together and we must recognize that no overdose no attempted overdose is the same Families are suffering were collective collective opportunities here for us from the law enforcement perspective from the policy perspective to move us forward and Again from PCC D's perspective We will make sure those monies go in places We're not only they're well spent but are effective and in concert with what the administration and our house and Senate Chambers are doing so that being said Truly honored to be here on behalf of the chairman and at this point offer it offer up the podium to the great District attorney. I didn't say great your county. I said great district attorney of your county Tom Kearney I have been asked to give my perspective on the use of naloxone in three to five minutes The perspective from the front lines if you will and my perspective is this Three to five minutes is the time that it takes for a human being to die from an opiate overdose Three to five minutes is the time it should take our legislature to remove naloxone from the list of controlled substances Three to five minutes is the time that it should take for our legislature to give blanket immunity To anyone who administers naloxone and not just first responders because three to five minutes is the likely response time for law enforcement to arrive and Some sadly continue to die in those three to five minutes Why do we place artificial government impediments on saving lives? Why does physician general dr. Levine need to issue a statewide? prescription the reality is that act number 139 of 2015 made it more difficult for law enforcement first responders to obtain naloxone Than for the general public prior to the minute the first order that was issued by dr. Levine Naloxone should be an over-the-counter of medication All who administer it should have immunity from suit because it has no side effects and neighbors Employers even a stranger who wait those three to five minutes should not have to watch another person die While they wait for first responders to arrive Additionally law enforcement needs the authority the legal authority to transport an Overdosed individual to the warm handoff at a medical facility Where that epiphany that enlightenment that that Decision by the afflicted to change their behavior will most likely occur Frequently after saving a life Law enforcement is reduced to collecting the needles and the drug paraphernalia and Perhaps illegal drugs and then walking away Law enforcement currently lacks the legal ability as Recommended by their naloxone training to compel Transport to a hospital for further medical treatment much less that warm handoff Yes, we've saved over a thousand lives, and that's reason for celebration York County what I described as ground zero north if you look at the map there as alone has saved over a hundred and eighty five lives since April of 2015 Yet, I continue to receive letters that say let them die Addicts made their bed, and now they should lay in it that all naloxone programs Accomplishes to provide continued customer base for drug dealers Those who write those letters have never been in law enforcement They have never had to kneel over a dying teenage boy with a needle in his arm vacantly staring at the ceiling Desperately applying CPR while the mother nearby sobs repeatedly and praying for Naloxone on Naloxone carrying medic to arrive and All the while knowing that with the simple squirt of spray up somebody's nose That young man's life could have been saved Those who write these letters don't understand that many who are saved are not addicts at all They are your grandparents who because of dementia or Simple forgetfulness took too many pills That day and they are those who are under a doctor's prescription in chronic agony Who sent who needed just one mil more pain pill to get through the day? They are our children who because of a stupid mistake a decision at a party are now paying with their life They're us That's who's being saved out there using Naloxone. I Will not ask law enforcement to stand down and watch someone die when it is in their power to save a life I will not ask them to select who should and who should not be saved Is not for first responders to judge who shall be the quick and who shall be the dead The resolve to change behavior frequently comes after The afflicted person is revived and the afflicted cannot act on that resolve when they are dead These are my thoughts from the front lines. Thank you. I'm sorry. I'd like to introduce Dave Stefan who's Lancaster County Regional Police who I like to describe as your County East He's formerly a York County detective sergeant who I've known well over the years David Good afternoon, Governor Wolf and honor guests looking back to the passage of Act 139 how many of us would have predicted that we'd be celebrating this milestone today and How many of these milestones? Have been as successful as this partnership between government and private industry and health care providers Simply put the use of Narcan by law enforcement saves lives My personal career journey Law enforcement has now lasted over 30 years. I've seen many initiatives for addressing public safety traffic safety technology crime reduction and other problems affecting the quality of life Some have worked and some have fallen short Simply put the use of naloxone by law enforcement has saved lives and lots of them We celebrate the 1,000 lives milestone today as we should But the number has a lot of different meanings most obvious being that the program works Another is a willingness of progressive law enforcement leaders the agencies they represent and their members to see the victims as More than drug users, but as persons who are prone to the frailties of human nature and the human condition We also look beyond the user and into the eyes and hearts of their families and others destroyed by that drug related behaviors The number 1,000 represents a starting point for where we stand as professionals as we go forward We need to continue to engage those law enforcement agencies who have not used naloxone to this point and illustrate to them their Obligation to do so from both a moral perspective and from a professional development perspective We need to continue to embrace the need to use Narcan and be diligent in our efforts to continue to fight on a Multidisciplinary level as a team going forward We need the flexibility to identify problems implement solutions and to do so in a timely and thoughtful manner as we heard here today We need tools to get The person that we've done the reversal one into that warm handoff to increase their chances of survival and more importantly to Increase their chances of recovery Opioid addiction and abuse is not a criminal justice issue. It's a public health issue We need to approach it as a partnership law enforcement engaging in community relationships networking Reaching out to people in need providing them the referrals they need in order to be successful in their journey towards recovery Most of all we need to continue to go forward with hope Knowing that we in policing our members of an honorable and respected profession One of the ability to take a life as to well as to save it The number 1,000 reflects the real law enforcement officers. I know Ones who are lifesavers and problem solvers Those that reflect so well in their agencies communities and the Commonwealth and our work is undone So as we go forward We want to make the 2,000 milestone as soon as we can Thank you The reason that we're here Chris Chris has a story better than all the bars put together. Hi, my name is Chris better that out I am a person in long-term recovery and what that means is that I haven't had a drink or a drug since January 19 2010 I just wanted to thank you guys because uh, you know Not too long ago. I can remember that there wasn't that much attention on this and like the work You guys are doing is really beneficial on the front lines. It really is So I have had a few experiences with naloxone This was before it was actually given to police departments and made available to the public and um, you know I got to tell you I've been revived multiple multiple times. I have been reversed multiple times And the reality is at those points of my life, um, I couldn't see where I'd be today I couldn't see that I was a son. I couldn't see that I was you know a significant other and you know I couldn't see the benefits. I would be bringing not only to um, you know the community that I live in but my employer I couldn't see that stuff. Um, I was only It was hard for me to survive not only using but not using so I I just wanted to kind of thank the people who saw the vision, you know that saw like that I was more than you know, somebody who was just made a moral, you know, a moral defective decision, right? You know, because the reality is you guys, um, saw what I couldn't at that time. Um, I was suicidal I that's basically what it boils down to right. Um, I had no hope using or not and when you took my solution away I was angry. Um And a lot of the law enforcement people, um, the people that picked me up off of the pavement saw that Um, and you know, thank you guys for being vigilant. Thank you for not just Walking away and saying there he goes again Right. Thank you for standing there and Take me to the same spot the same time, right? Um, because without that I wouldn't have the opportunity to get introduced in the long term recovery And what that looks like for me today is like I'm going to college Like who would have thought right? Um, I'm not only active in my in my family again, um and my home life And like an active part of that, but I'm also active in my community. Um, I'm active with the people around me and you know, um People used to you know, people still tell me today. I can't believe what used to be right And the reality is without you guys, um, and without you know being reversed multiple multiple times, right? Um, I wouldn't have that opportunity. Um, and not only that, but the people in my life wouldn't have the opportunity to see me Who I am today So, you know, thank you guys because I know it's frustrating and I know it's irritating. Um, because I was right Um, but it's really important that we give you you know, everyone That stems from the same spot. I did you know an opportunity to Have what I have today, you know, so thanks I think chris said it better than anybody else here You all said it really wonderfully, but that's why we're doing this Because think of what our society with pennsylvania is going to be like when chris and everybody else suffering from this disease Not only survives but thrives and does the things that chris is doing that's going to be a great thing Not just for chris not just for the Sufferers but for all of us and and that's why we're doing this. So this is really important for us So thank you for allowing us to do the right thing Appreciate it