Attorney General Josh Shapiro visited Erie on November 22nd and spoke with experts at the Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Shapiro said that the data on drug overdose deaths has increased in counties across the commonwealth during the pandemic.

After speaking with experts from the County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Office, Shapiro said that the number of drug overdose deaths in Erie County has not been as high as they were in 2017 and 2018.

Shapiro said that this decrease speaks to the work of Erie County Office which will only be furthered by national settlement dollars.

“How they would these resources from the national settlement to use, specifically using it for what I’ll call the ancillary services, how we transport people to treatment, how we provide child care, and I have great confidence in the leadership here in Erie County that when those dollars start to flow early next year they will be put to good use,” said Josh Shapiro, PA Attorney General.

Representatives from the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Office said that there are services available for those suffering from addiction including programs to help get people back on their feet.

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