A substance abuse expert repeatedly stated the value of treatment over incarceration during an event organized by the Upper Perkiomen Valley's Citizen Drug Prevention Force on Thursday, Nov. 17.

                For every dollar spent on helping an addict avoid jail, society saves $7, according to Dr. Kenneth Martz, a special assistant to the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

                Martz said that only 10 percent of people nationwide who need treatment receive it. He said that figure in Pennsylvania is 13 percent. 

                "If we were to fund treatment properly, we could save significant taxpayer dollars," he said.

                Martz served as the featured speaker at the event. His comments at the Community Action Initiative were intended to motivate community involvement.

                At the end of the meeting, held in the Upper Perkiomen High School auditorium, state Sen. Bob Mensch (R-24) and Wilfred Pike III, a school board member, asked the audience members to join one of seven committees that make up the drug prevention force.  "It's all about action," Mensch said during the presentation.

                Created earlier this year by multiple stakeholders, the intention of the force is to combat the opioid addiction crisis in the valley. Mensch called it a more dangerous public health issue than the AIDS epidemic.

                "We really need to come together," said Jamie Lavin, a corporal with the Upper Perk Police District and the organization's founder. "We want your help. We want your friends' help."

                Martz, the featured speaker, explained that alcohol is far and away the most abused substance in society. 

                He added that the rates of heroin use have not substantially changed over time. However, death rates for opioid overdoses have increased significantly from 1990 to 2015, according to Martz.

                He said 54 percent of abusers rely primarily on friends or family members, at no financial cost, as source for their drugs.

                Treatment time has decreased significantly since 1995, when the average time totaled 95 days. According to Martz, that period dropped to 47 days in 2011. 

                He said people need to be in rehab for at least 90 days to allow their brains to heal.

                "The length of time someone stays in rehab is the No. 1 predictor" of whether or not people will go back to using, Martz said. "Detox is not treatment. People need time to practice new skills until those skills become normal."

                According to Lavin, between 30 and 40 people joined the drug prevention force's seven committees, which includes Legislation/Courts, Funding, Prevention/Education, Community Outreach/Marketing, Mentoring, By-Laws and 501(C)(3).

                "We are still seeking more volunteers who want to take a stand against this horrible disease," he wrote in a Nov. 21 email. "We have a very motivated group, but anyone is welcome to join us. It's time to take action and help our community."