Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the opioid epidemic, according to our new research, which finds that opioid overdoses increased in Pennsylvania in 2020 compared with 2018 and 2019. Yet general trends obscure critical local variations. Specifically, 19 Pennsylvania counties saw statistically significant increases in opioid overdose rates. The people who live in those 19 counties are […]
‘Cautionary tale’ of Wilkes-Barre band The Buoys and unlikely hit ‘Timothy’ told in new book
From a press release: 50 years after their big but controversial hit was released, a new book tells the true story of Wilkes-Barre rock band The Buoys and their fleeting success. On Oct. 26, Sunbury Press published “Somebody Else’s Dream: Dakota, The Buoys, & ‘Timothy,’” a cautionary tale of substance abuse, the pitfalls of fame, […]
Kulick remembers Tamaqua poet who overdosed with new recording of song ‘H’
From a press release: 23-year-old Alexandria Sienkiewicz wrote a poem about her struggles with heroin shortly before she accidentally overdosed on fentanyl on April 2, 2016. Kulick then turned her poem into a song he titled “H,” originally released on YouTube in 2017. Sienkiewicz was from Tamaqua, the same small town as Kulick, and like […]
Blogger, author, and recovering addict Tiffany Jenkins speaks at Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on June 19
From a press release: Tiffany Jenkins is a wife, mother, author, content creator, and recovering addict. Best known for her blog, Juggling the Jenkins, and hilarious viral Facebook videos, Jenkins speaks shamelessly, openly, and honestly about her past and addiction, as well as her struggles with depression and anxiety. She will appear live at the […]
Striking mural in Marketplace at Steamtown depicts Scranton’s opioid epidemic in new light
From a press release: A new eye-catching mural addressing the realities of the opioid epidemic has been installed inside of The Marketplace at Steamtown in downtown Scranton. Local artist Eric Bussart spray-painted the storefront piece, which addresses an issue that the Department of Health has deemed to be the worst public health crisis in Pennsylvania, […]
Pennsylvania offers free naloxone on Dec. 13 to help stop opioid overdoses
From a press release: Governor Tom Wolf’s administration will provide naloxone for free to any Pennsylvanian who wants it at nearly 80 locations across the state, primarily at state health centers and county/municipal health departments, on Thursday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. as part of Pennsylvania’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of opioid […]
Pa. Pain and Addiction Summit addresses opioid epidemic in Wilkes-Barre with NY Mets’ Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden on April 20
From a press release: Leaders at the forefront of battling the opioid crisis will present at Wilkes University’s Pennsylvania Pain and Addiction Summit at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, April 20. New York Mets All-Star pitcher Dwight “Doc” Gooden will deliver the keynote address, detailing his road from addiction to recovery. During the […]
College SnowJam co-founder Frank Winger passes away before 4th annual event at Montage in Scranton
Marywood University graduate and Hellertown resident Frank Winger, an accomplished young man known as much for his charisma, drive, business acumen, and compassion as he was for co-founding the annual College SnowJam at Montage Mountain in Scranton, unexpectedly passed away on Monday, Feb. 5. He was only 24. The tragic news comes just days before […]
PHOTOS: MiZ at Love of Recovery Free Music Festival at Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre, 09/09/17
We have lost so many good people – and many great musicians – to drug addiction, so Rockers in Recovery is doing something about it. “Dedicated to carrying the message of addiction education through music, news, interviews, events, and festivals taking place within the clean and sober community since 2008,” Rockers in Recovery held the […]
NEPA SCENE PODCAST: Scranton filmmaker Kenny Luck on ‘Opioid Nation’ and the NEPA drug epidemic
Recorded and produced every week by Internet marketing company Coal Creative in their production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, the award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast presents honest, uncensored interviews and in-depth discussions about local arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. The live, multi-camera show streams in high definition on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page […]
