The state’s choice between attorney general candidates could shape Pennsylvania’s public health policies moving forward.
Pennsylvania’s upcoming attorney general election brings the opioid crisis into the spotlight, with each of the candidates outlining unique approaches to address it. The state’s next attorney general will have considerable influence in steering the response to opioid addiction, a challenge that has claimed thousands of lives each year despite some declines in overdose death rates since its onset. Despite downward turns, fentanyl and other synthetic drugs have the risked of overdoses ending in fatalities. Pennsylvania itself has worked hard to reduce the state’s overdose rate, once among the highest in the country, but significant work remains to make the state safer and healthier for all residents.
Democratic candidate Eugene DePasquale brings personal experience to his campaign, describing how his father’s addiction shaped his views on the issue. His plans emphasize harm reduction strategies and policy adjustments for better allocation of settlement funds. DePasquale supports legalizing fentanyl test strips and maintaining state funding for free Narcan (naloxone) to help reduce overdose deaths. He also advocates for recreational marijuana legalization, suggesting it could decrease addiction rates by diverting some from the dangerous path of opioid dependence.
DePasquale has focused on improving rehab program effectiveness, having previously recommended policy adjustments based on an investigation into rehab centers when he served as auditor general. His goal is to make sure opioid settlement funds support successful recovery programs, helping to stabilize the state’s long-term approaches to addiction treatment. DePasquale also supports supervised injection sites, which have shown promise in other regions in reducing both overdose deaths and disease transmission, arguing that these sites offer people a safe and supportive environment while connecting them to the care they need.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Dave Sunday, currently York County’s district attorney, has his own approach focused on accountability and community support. Sunday has been outspoken about his belief in balancing firm consequences for drug dealers with a compassionate approach to those struggling with addiction. His record in York County includes co-founding a heroin taskforce, now part of the York Opioid Collaborative, that has been central to providing naloxone to local law enforcement, increasing treatment availability, and hosting community events to raise awareness about addiction and recovery. He also intends to expand programs like the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative statewide. This initiative enables certain individuals arrested for minor offenses to be referred to treatment without prosecution, reducing recidivism and supporting recovery over punishment.
Sunday’s approach focuses specifically on a program in York County in partnership with WellSpan Health, which provides mental health treatment for arrestees in place of jail time. He has expressed plans to broaden this program with similar partnerships if elected, hoping to address the mental health challenges that often accompany addiction. However, Sunday’s stance on supervised injection sites differs from DePasquale’s as he has made clear he is firmly against them, preferring resources to be directed toward more conventional forms of treatment.
Another tool in Sunday’s strategy is his use of the drug delivery resulting in death (DDRD) charge, a felony that holds individuals responsible when someone dies from using a drug they supplied. Since 2018, York County has frequently used this charge, a move that is sometimes controversial but which Sunday defends as necessary for holding traffickers accountable. While the charge has been used less in recent years, Sunday maintains that it’s an important tool when prosecuting high-level traffickers and dealers responsible for multiple deaths. He also supports Pennsylvania’s good Samaritan law, which protects individuals who report overdoses, to relieve concerns about unintended consequences.
Both candidates bring distinct approaches to a complex issue, reflecting the broader national debate over the best plan to address the opioid epidemic. The state’s choice between attorney general candidates could shape not only law enforcement’s role in tackling addiction but also Pennsylvania’s public health policies, impacting communities statewide.
Sources:
Pennsylvania Attorney General Debate
How Pa.’s attorney general candidates plan to approach the opioid epidemic
Pa. spends on drug addiction treatment, but hasn’t figured what works: audit
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