Drug-related deaths drop in Lawrence Co.

New Castle police say increased drug arrests have helped stop overdoses.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA STAFF
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The number of people dying of drug overdoses in Lawrence County has taken a significant drop this year.
Coroner Russell S. Noga said there have been only three drug-related deaths so far in 2005. This is a significant drop from the 18 drug overdoses reported by the coroner's office in 2004.
The coroner said the number of deaths last year was well beyond any previous year. In 2003, there were seven drug deaths, he said.
Doctors arrested
Noga directly attributes this year's lower number of deaths to the arrests last year of two medical doctors and a chiropractor.
Dr. Philip Wagman, Dr. William Mangino Jr. and chiropractor Tom Wilkins are accused of handing out hundreds of prescriptions for drugs such as OxyContin and other highly addictive prescription medication.
One doctor bragged that he was putting $50,000 worth of OxyContin on the streets of New Castle each day, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office.
The three were charged in September 2004 and are now awaiting trials in common pleas court.
"You are never going to get rid of all the drugs, but getting rid of that [drug dispensing] problem has made my life a lot easier," Noga said.
Stepped-up presence
New Castle Police Chief Tom Sansone adds that the lower number of drug deaths also can be attributed to his departments increased drug arrests.
Police doubled the number of drug arrests from 2003 to 2004. The department has averaged slightly more than 100 drug arrests each year since 2001, according to police department records. But in 2004, the number of arrests jumped to 201 and this year there have been 171 drug arrests as of Sept. 7.
"I'd like to think the stepped-up presence of the police has helped curb the number of drug-related deaths," Sansone said.
Sansone's department has been performing unannounced saturation patrols in the city where they send large numbers of police officers to areas known for drug dealing at different times of the day and night. The saturation patrols are done at least once a month.
"Crestview Gardens is not 100 percent clean, but it is not like it was just a few months ago," the chief said, referring to a low-income housing complex known for drug dealing.
cioffi@vindy.com