COUNTY DRUG REPORT SAYS HEROIN TAKING STRONG HOLD

Alcohol is losing ground as the drug of choice in Venango County.

Although it is still on top, statistics show that fewer people are
hitting the bottle, while more are opting for harder, more harmful
drugs, according to an annual report issued by the Venango County
Substance Abuse Program.

And it's not just those addicted who are feeling the effects. Those
who are scrounging for funding to treat these people are also
struggling with the county's newfound fascination with harder drugs.

For example, heroin has jumped into the local spotlight in recent years.

"It has flooded the market," said Bonnie Summers, administrator of
the Venango County Substance Abuse Program.

It was just about two years ago that Summers noticed heroin creeping
into the county more and more.

"I think that there were probably more folks from out of the area
coming in and bringing the drug trade with them," Summers said.

"When people enter treatment, they are asked to identify the drug
that has caused them to enter treatment. Alcohol has been losing
ground for the past seven years. Heroin and other opiates have
increased to a startling 24 percent (of those who enter treatment in
Venango County)," Summers wrote in the report.

From 1998- 2001, 1 percent of Venango County residents seeking
treatment were dealing with a heroin problem. In 2001-02 the
percentage rose to 2 percent, and by 2004-05 it had risen to 9
percent, according to the report.

In comparison, the percentage of people seeking treatment for alcohol
has steadily dropped from 66 percent in 1998-99 to 42 percent in 2004-05

Summers doesn't see the area's heroin problem going away any time
soon because the drug is hitting a younger age group.

While those seeking treatment for alcohol usually fell into an older
age bracket, the majority of those seeking treatment for heroin
mostly fall into the 18-to-30 age group, Summers said.

"You can see what the drug trade has done to this area," Summers said.

As far as drug usage goes, some of the old favorites, like marijuana,
are still popular. But more people are seeking treatment for
addictions to cocaine, prescription drugs and methamphetamines, or
crystal meth.

Summers said she is seeing crystal meth used not just alone but in
addition to other drugs.

"Venango County has been identified as one of the rural counties of
Pennsylvania with high crystal methamphetamine lab seizures and high
trafficking of heroin, opiates and crack cocaine by urban drug
dealers. The harmful effects on individual, family and community due
to these drug activities have shook the underpinnings of life in
(Venango County) and the costs associated with it have affected every
social network and fabric of the county," Summers wrote in the report.

Summers said there are more people receiving treatment for substance
abuse, and she is continuing to see more women seeking treatment than
ever before.

There were about 131 women receiving treatment in 1998-99; the number
jumped to 277 in 2004-05.

Summers said that since women are typically the primary caregivers,
their substance abuse problems would also affect their families.
That's why a mother's treatment program would include her children,
Summers said.

Programs are also designed for pregnant women and their unborn
children, according to Summers. "More (pregnant women) than you would
think" receive treatment for substance abuse, Summers said.

More women are using drugs like crystal meth and cocaine, according
to Summers. They are using these drugs "even when they're pregnant
because they become addicted," she added.

There is a demand for new or updated programs to address these
growing problems, but there isn't enough money for the programs that
are needed, Summers said.

"The use of stronger, more potent drugs and the availability of
prescription drugs with a quicker addiction potential make it very
difficult to treat the addiction," according to the report. "New
programs and methods are developed that require changes in treatment
delivery systems. These changes require funds for training and
program development, while at the same time current programs need to
be funded and maintained," the report says.

State and federal funding fuel the treatment programs, and more money
has been sought locally, according to Summers. But there just isn't
enough money to go around.

"We really don't have money in a rural county like this," Summers said.

The Venango County Substance Abuse Program spent $1,160,669 on
treatment and programming in 2004-05, and funding was available for
the first time for "detox" programming. Detoxification is often
needed before any type of treatment program can begin, Summers said.

Local agencies are also looking into bringing what is called a matrix
model to the area, Summers said. This is an intense
four-to-five-day-a-week program that includes more motivational
treatment that will make people want to stay clean, she said.

The hope is to launch a pilot program for this long-term treatment
program in July, Summers said.

Since it is a long-term program, Summers expects to see success rates
increase compared to standard treatment programs and hopefully see
less people return to the drug that got them in treatment in the first place.