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Lottery numbers for Friday, March 18

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Penn State takes lead in chase for team championship

<p>SCRANTON &#8212; Bobby Long, an employee of Clearbrook, shared his story of addiction and recovery Friday as one of four panelists testifying at a field hearing convened by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care.</p><p>Toomey is attempting to get legislation titled &#8220;Stopping Medication Abuse and Protecting Seniors Act&#8221; through Congress to better keep prescription drugs out of the hands of those who are likely to abuse it.</p><p>The legislation, passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, is on its way to the House.</p><p>Long&#8217;s willingness to share his experience, strength and hope about the subject, he said, was predicated on the belief that he could help others still suffering.</p><p>Growing up, he said, many thought that Long and his family were living the American Dream.</p><p>His mother taught school and his father worked for IBM. Behind closed doors, however, both parents struggled with addiction.</p><p>Long, himself, had a chaotic high school experience and only made it through one semester of college before his life collapsed because of substance abuse.</p><p>In February 2007, with an arrest record in every jurisdiction in which he had lived, Long said he was broken and bankrupt, but he still had hope. He entered a rehabilitation center and was able to refrain from drug abuse for seven years.</p><p>He said he wished that his story would have ended there, with success achieved after his first efforts.</p><p>In 2013, however, married and owner of a home with a white picket fence around it, he began experiencing pain and subsequently had surgery.</p><p>Long was prescribed opiates and, although the pain eventually subsided, his addiction to opiates remained.</p><p>Long said he had heard of a doctor who would freely prescribe opiates, especially for those who had decent insurance and cash.</p><p>For about a year, Long again struggled with addiction. Then in December 2014, he again knew he was ready to kick his habit. He wanted another shot at life.</p><p>And although he was successful, he said, &#8220;I won&#8217;t lie to you, getting clean the second time was one of the hardest things I have ever done.&#8221;</p><p>Toomey, responding to Long&#8217;s testimony, said state residents would benefit from legislation establishing parameters and accountability when it comes to the prescription of opiates.</p><p>Also on the panel was President Judge Michael J. Barrasse, who oversees Lackawanna County&#8217;s drug court program.</p><p>He said the program saves the county money and provides opportunity for its participants to be gainfully employed.</p><p>Painting a grim picture of the cost of addiction, he said, &#8220;more Americans die of overdoses annually than during the Vietnam war.&#8221;</p><p>Law abiding citizens, he said, were also victims of crimes related to the abuse of drugs.</p><p>Barrasse said incarceration didn&#8217;t solve the problem in the long term.</p><p>&#8220;We can&#8217;t lock people up and expect their disease to go away,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Treatment court, he said, provides opportunity for evaluation, accountability and legal leverage to provide treatment and make success more likely for those suffering from the disease of addiction.</p><p>Dr. Margaret Jarvis, medical director of Geisinger&#8217;s Marworth inpatient treatment facility, said although doctors often prescribe narcotics in a well-intentioned effort to alleviate pain, often people become addicted.</p><p>&#8220;We cannot predict who is vulnerable,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Part of the answer, Jarvis said, is fully training doctors about addiction, including appropriate prescribing policies and identification of those at risk.</p><p>Pharmacist Eric Wright, of Geisinger, said seven Pennsylvanians die every day from drug overdoses.</p><p>He lauded the senator&#8217;s attempts to &#8220;lock in&#8221; Medicare recipients to one prescribing physician and one pharmacy.</p><p>&#8220;We need an appropriate balance of encouraging treatment for addiction and preserving rights,&#8221; he said.</p><p>As Toomey spoke, a graph behind him illustrated the exponential increases in the use of prescription and illegal opiates since 1990.</p><p>In concluding the hearing, Toomey inquired of the four panelists as to whether they supported the success of the bill, with each answering &#8220;yes.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Michael Barrasse, back left, Marworth Chief Medical Officer Dr. Margaret Jarvis, Dr. Eric Wright of Geisinger Health System, and Bobby Long of Clearbrook Inc. listen to U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, front left, during a hearing on heroin and pain killer abuse at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton on Friday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL031916Heroin_1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Michael Barrasse, back left, Marworth Chief Medical Officer Dr. Margaret Jarvis, Dr. Eric Wright of Geisinger Health System, and Bobby Long of Clearbrook Inc. listen to U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, front left, during a hearing on heroin and pain killer abuse at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton on Friday morning. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL031916Heroin_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey addresses legal and health professionals during a hearing on heroin and pain killer abuse at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton on Friday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL031916Heroin_2.jpg</photo1><caption1>U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey addresses legal and health professionals during a hearing on heroin and pain killer abuse at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton on Friday morning. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Senator says bill would help curb addiction</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Senator Pat Toomey chairs hearing on bill aimed at curbing opioid abuse