Heroin easier to access than wine and cheaper than beer in rural Pennsylvania, report claims
A packet of heroin in the rural Pennsylvania costs as little as $5
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Heroin is more readily available in rural Pennsylvania than a bottle of wine, and is cheaper than a six pack of beer, according to a new report.
State Senator Gene Yaw, the Republican chairman for the Centre for Rural Pennsylvania which published the report, said a small packet of heroin costs between $5 and $10 and offers a five-hour high.
The new findings are based on evidence submitted in hearings across the north eastern state. According to the document, there were 22.6 fatal heroin overdoses per 100,000 population in Cambria County in central Pennsylvania - the highest in the whole state.
The report urged for the state to legislate on the problem, suggesting it should be made easier to prosecute dealers whose customers die of overdoses, and a “Good Samaritan” law should be introduced to assure that people who seek help for overdose victims will not face criminal charges.
However, putting more addicts in jail would not solve the problem, the report said.
While Yaw suggested that one specific factor could not be blamed for Cambria County’s high drug death rate, state representative Bryan Barbin, a Democrat, pointed to relatively nearby heroin distribution centres like Baltimore.
Barbin added that the Cambria County city of Johnstown is easily accessible from Baltimore, and dealing heroin is an attractive career option for those with few economic prospects - especially those with drug crime records.
State Representative Richard Marabito, a Democrat, said Pennsylvania has about 760,000 residents with addiction problems, but that only about 52,000 are receiving treatment. Only one in eight addicts can be helped with existing state resources, the report said.
The problem is not only affecting Pennsylvania. Governor Peter Shumlin said rural parts of his state of Vermont were experiencing a “full-blown heroin crisis,” while the overdose rate in New York City has surged as well, especially in the wealthiest neighborhoods.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments