Editorial: Pitt drug center leading charge on heroin prevention

Instead of making the nation’s heroin epidemic a conversation seemingly too improper for academia, Pitt went and created an entire center and study to advance the national dialogue.

According to a study from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health published Thursday, Allegheny County has Pennsylvania’s second highest number of heroin overdoses. Pitt’s study is the first to examine accidental overdose deaths in the state over time.

But when the federal government allocated $1.8 million to pay for new opioid abuse centers across the state Friday, Pittsburgh ended up without a share.

This funding snub of Pittsburgh treatment centers ignores an addiction and abuse crisis in western Pennsylvania that we must address. Fortunately, Pitt has decided to confront the problem itself, setting the tone for how we must approach the national heroin epidemic in the process.

Using $248,000 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Pitt’s School of Pharmacy is launching The Pennsylvania Heroin Overdose Prevention Center.

The center will direct resources for counties to help fight the heroin epidemic by assisting community coalitions aimed at curbing overdose deaths. It will also help the state Commission on Crime and Delinquency generate funding for expanded prevention programs.

Both the research and initiative show an increased focus on community health issues by Pitt, as opposed to commercial studies. Just last April, 70 University professors signed a letter to Chancellor Gallagher expressing concern about the University prioritizing financially lucrative research over public good. .

The narrative surrounding other diseases is that they happen to you, while addiction is perceived as self-inflicted. It’s a better attention draw and funding lure for Pitt to take on cancer or privatized drug research.

But for the Pitt community, the struggle against drug abuse is personal. The campus has seen students die from overdoses within the last year, and, following statistics, we know many others suffer in the dark.

This isn’t a problem just facing the country at large or even just the state. Pitt’s new center and study shows a dedication to the community, and more importantly, the specific concerns of minorities.

The study takes a root-cause approach, breaking down overdoses by age, race and gender to see which communities are having the most issues with opioids and heroin. Going forward, it will now be easier to build programs that directly target the people most in need.

Both foundational research and active guidance are necessary to effectively address addiction and overdoses. It also helps to engage the community itself. Hopefully Pitt students will have the opportunity to participate in raising awareness about addiction among their peers and neighbors, either through contributing to research or acting as public advocates.

Even though Pittsburgh missed out on additional federal funds, Pitt has the chance to help communities ravaged by heroin and opioids.

Drug abuse is not a glamorous discussion, but it is one Pitt should be proud of leading.