The disease of addiction is a major health crisis across the country, and close to home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 14 Americans report experiencing a substance use disorder, and over 70% of drug overdose deaths in 2019 involved an opioid. Our FY2021 Community Health Improvement Plan found that Lancaster County experienced a rapid increase of overdose deaths since 2015, and saw a 40% increase in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To address the growing problem of opioid use disorder within the community, the Lancaster County Joining Forces Coalition was founded in 2017.
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