NEWS RELEASES
Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society Work To Stop Tragic Epidemic
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through Keystone Edge's website.
The Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS), founded by the Pennsylvania Urban Parks & Recreation Alliance, is fighting to stop Pennsylvania’s opioid epidemic. Since parks are open to all residents, they naturally attract misbehavior, and park agencies are learning how to cope with and even prevent the problem. The crisis touches all parks and recreation departments, urban and suburban, explains Jason Lang, director of East Goshen Township Parks and Recreation, who is also the chairman of PRPS’s recently launched Opioid Task Force.
According to a 2017 report from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the city recorded 907 deaths from drug overdoses the previous year; opioids were found in more than 80 percent of those deaths. Alaina Johns from the Keystone Edge reports in her article: "Park maintenance professionals in Philadelphia get special training on how to handle risks of drugs use in parks, along with gear such as extendable mechanical grippers and needle-proof aprons, gloves, and trash bag. Park professionals can do a lot of basic things to cut down on drug use in outdoor public spaces, argued Reading Recreation Executive Director Daphne Klahr, also in attendance. Staffers can ensure clear lines of sight, maintain lighting, raise the canopies of trees, and make sure bushes aren’t blocking park trails.
To read the full article, and learn more about the goals of the task force, follow this link.
Culture, Education, News, Open Road, Parks & Recreation, Pennsylvania