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Honor a person lost to gun violence with ‘Remembrance Object,’ Sept. 24-26 Page A5
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 112 No. 38 Two Sections
SEPTEMBER 22-28, 2021
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Report: Overdose death rate ‘significantly higher’ for Blacks in Allegheny County Doctors, officials say help is available by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Scott Cook, M.D., has been pretty much everywhere in town when it comes to addiction recovery centers. And as an African American, he’s seen thousands of people, helped thousands of people overcome their drug and alcohol addictions. Just one problem, he told the New Pittsburgh Courier: hardly any of the patients are Black. “I’ve been with many outpatient places, a couple inpatient places,” Dr. Cook said. “In the last 10 years, I’ve seen less than 100 Black patients, but 10,000 White patients.” For decades, the word “opioid” has been associated with “White,” as in, it’s a White person’s problem. But whether it’s heroin, fentanyl, or prescription meds like OxyContin, Vico-
din, morphine, and methadone, doctors and therapists are trying to get the word out that it’s a Black person’s problem, too. A study released Sept. 9 conducted in partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health analyzed overdose data and death certificates from four states (Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York). It found that the rate of opioid deaths among African Americans increased by 38 percent from 20182019. Rates for other racial groups did not rise. “You would think that crack cocaine is primarily the main drug African Americans use because it’s in movies,” Dr. Cook told the Courier exclusively. “We use opioids at the same rate as our White counterparts. That’s seen by society as a White problem. We need to get more African American patients
in our doors because we have the problem, but we’re not getting the help.” The study found that African Americans’ opioid overdose death rates rose from 31.3 to 43.2 per 100,000 adults. Part of what’s fueling the rise in Black overdose deaths is the presence of fentanyl, the highly-powerful synthetic opioid that’s often laced in heroin. And it’s happening close to home. In 2020, 84 percent (584) of all overdose deaths in Allegheny County were related to fentanyl. Compare that with 2014, when fentanyl-related overdoses accounted for just 33 percent of the 424 total overdose deaths in the county. The findings prompted Mayor Bill Peduto to sign an executive order calling for the use of fentanyl test strips, which have been proven to prevent opioid overdoses and save lives as they allow users to identi-
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SCOTT COOK, M.D., is one of the leading addiction medicine doctors in the region. He urges African Americans who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction to seek professional help. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.) fy the presence of fentanyl in unregulated drugs including injectable drugs, powders and pills. Mayor Peduto also ordered on Aug. 31 that the city’s Office of Community Health
and Safety work with city employees and the public to educate them on the benefits of these lifesaving tools and to reduce the stigma associated with possessing them.
The mayor’s executive order highlighted that the rate of overdose mortality for Black residents of Allegheny County is “sigSEE OVERDOSE A5
Four entities recognized for its commitment to DEI Vibrant Pittsburgh releases annual report by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
PITTSBURGHERS CASSANDRA COOPER AND NIKKI THORPE were there to see the numerous musical acts at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, hosted by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Sept. 17-19. See more photos of the festival on Pages A6-A7. (Photo by Gail Manker)
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Vibrant Pittsburgh is watching local corporations and nonprofits like a hawk. The organization is looking for “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” to be a hallmark at local companies, as the organization recently released its 2020 “Vibrant Index” report. Four organizations were deemed “Vibrant Champions” for its commitment to DEI; however, as Vibrant’s report stated, an organizational designation of Vibrant Champion “does not convey perfection.” Those organizations are: Community College of Allegheny County; UPMC; PNC Bank; and The Pittsburgh Promise. Out of the 78 local organizations that participated in Vibrant Pittsburgh’s voluntary Index Diagnostic about issues of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the four aforementioned organizations scored at or above the 95th percentile. The Vibrant Index was performed in collaboration with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
MARSHA JONES, Chief Diversity Officer, PNC Financial Services. “I can proudly acknowledge that each of this year’s Vibrant Champions are long-term Vibrant member organizations. Each Vi-
brant Champion named is at a different stage in their respective Diversity, EquiSEE DEI A3