The Opioid Merry-Go-Round

Editor’s note: Louis Lombardi is a candidate for Magisterial District Judge for District 49-2-01 serving Patton, Half Moon, Ferguson and College (North/West) townships. StateCollege.com welcomes op-ed submissions on issues of interest from any Centre County candidate for elected office.

A generation ago, this country was gripped by a drug epidemic that created havoc and destroyed too many lives. As a police officer, I responded to overdose calls and it became clear to me that if people were willing to put these poisons into their bodies, arresting them – punishing them – was not the answer.

Easily available, readily prescribed opioids have created a new crisis. Today, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States and opioid addiction is the main driver. In Pennsylvania alone, there are seven deaths a day from drug overdoses, mostly from opioids. If we believe in civil society, we must find a way to bring an end to this daily tragedy, to the crimes as well as to the suffering.

Centre County is establishing a drug court, the purpose of which is to treat people who suffer from addiction rather than punish them. Drug courts are a step in the right direction, but they also have serious drawbacks. A defendant must waive some of their constitutional rights and they must plea guilty, which results in a conviction. It is nearly impossible for a convicted criminal to find work; without work, convicted drug users more often than not find themselves back at square one.

Is there another alternative?

Six years ago, Seattle began the LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program. The idea behind LEAD is simple: at contact between police and a person for a minor drug offense, the person is given a simple choice – you can either be arrested or you can enter a treatment program. Police have always had the ability to use their discretion about whether to arrest or not. This program gives more authority to police discretion. If the person accepts the option of treatment, the police begin the enrollment process and take the person directly to a treatment facility. The Seattle program has reduced criminal-recidivism rates by up to 60 percent.

A LEAD program in Centre County would give the local criminal justice system an effective – and compassionate — alternative for dealing with the epidemic of opioid abuse. There is nothing to lose here and a lot to gain.

It’s time to think outside the box.

Louis Lombardi is an attorney who resides in Patton Township. He is currently a candidate for District Magistrate for the Patton, Half Moon, Ferguson and College (North/West) townships. He can be reached via e-mail at: info@Lombardi4Magistrate.com.