Author Sam Quinones says drug overdoses still rising

Fentanyl and Methamphetamine proliferate

• Scott LaMar
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  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Courtesy Chester County District Attorney's Office / The Associated Press

This Sunday, May 21, 2017, photo provided by the Chester County District Attorney's Office in West Chester, Pa., shows opioid drug packets, a syringe and other belongings found by law enforcement personnel in an addiction counselor's bedroom at the Freedom Ridge Recovery Lodge, a suburban Philadelphia halfway house in West Brandywine Township.

Airdate: Thursday, March 17, 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month that more than 104 thousand people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. during the year that ended in September 2021. That was 16 percent more than from the same period the year before.

Most of the overdose deaths were opioid related.

So, while much of the country was still focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of people were still dying from overdoses.

New York Times best-selling author Sam Quinones’ last two books — Dreamland and The Least of Us – told stories of the rise of heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Sam Quinones will be part of a book club zoom event at Millersville University tonight, speak and answer questions Monday night and Tuesday morning at Millersville. He joins us on Thursday’s Smart Talk.