Sixty days into Cherelle Parker’s mayorship, it’s clear she intends to make good on the promises of her 100-day plan, including the promise to “clean up” Kensington. But an increase in drug arrests— won’t be enough to deter drug use and distribution or stop the resulting deaths.
In 2022, there were 1,413 unintentional overdose deaths in Philadelphia. That’s nearly four preventable deaths each day. As a mental health professional with decades of experience, I know that that number will continue to sharply rise if drug arrests don’t come with proper addiction recovery support.
Arresting drug offenders and holding them temporarily in jail just to release them into the street with no resources, support, or guidance is already known to have devastating effects. Those suffering from substance abuse disorders build up tolerance over time and need more and more to get high. But tolerance to opioids and other substances wanes quickly when drug use stops. Without addiction treatment, drug offenders will start using drugs again, in many cases immediately upon release, and at the same high-dose levels from before their arrest. The result is often an unintentional overdose, and for many, there’s no coming back. For the rest, the jail door transforms into a revolving one.
Research shows that drug habits are often formed in response to physical and emotional abuse. This same research shows that, when offered early, mental health counseling, proper housing, and addiction treatment work together to prevent ongoing drug use and associated crime. When offered after an arrest has been made, these programs significantly lower recidivism rates, meaning that they make offenders less likely to offend again. One need only look at established programs in other jurisdictions to see the positive outcomes. In Utah, for example, female offenders who complete the 11-month Excell residential therapeutic program are 30% less likely than non-participating offenders to return to prison.
Pennsylvania state prisons also offer addiction treatment and counseling programs to qualifying offenders. However, a person’s first encounter with the prison system typically occurs at a county or city-level jail or prison, and services at these facilities are inconsistent. Mental health counseling is not typically offered, and programs and services for the continuation or commencement of addiction and withdrawal medication are limited despite higher aspirations.
Importantly, we already have the funding and framework in place to reduce drug offenses, substance abuse, and overdoses in Philadelphia. In 2022, then-Mayor Jim Kenney announced the City would invest millions of dollars into increased treatment and housing programs, including a 100-day challenge that helped 400 people gain access to housing and treatment in 100 days. The funding for these and other community programs comes from a $200 million Opioid Settlement Fund meant to help our local communities recover from the damage and destruction caused by substance abuse. These programs work but require both ongoing support and expansion to ensure we’re reaching everyone who needs help in ways that will make a long-term difference.
Mayor Parker’s 100-day plan has received mixed reactions. That’s because Kensington’s drug problem can’t be solved with police presence or enforcement alone. While the Mayor’s plan does include measures to help bring resources to the community, including for those living with addiction, we must deploy those resources, and the ones already in place, prior to or at least alongside police enforcement. Working with mental health providers, and overdose and recovery specialists in the community is key to supporting our neighbors, friends, and families to heal and become healthy, vibrant, and drug-free. Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates and our team of trained mental health providers, including our addiction specialists, are here to support Kensington’s recovery in a sustainable, meaningful way. And we are not the only ones. I implore the mayor and council to collaborate with Philadelphia’s mental health and addiction recovery professionals to protect and lift our community to a brighter future.
– Chris Pagnani, MD
Founder and Medical Director, Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates