The opioid crisis in Philadelphia

Guests: Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, Silvana Mazzella, Carol Rostucher, Mike Newall

The cleanup of the heroin encampment along the Conrail tracks in Philadelphia has been postponed.  The section of railroad tracks in the Fairhill and Kensington neighborhoods is home to hundreds of addicts and is littered with thousands of used syringes and trash. It’s become a potent symbol of the opioid crisis in the city.  Last year, 906 people died of overdoses in the city, and this year, the number of overdose victims is expected to be even higher. We’ll take a look at the state of the opioid crisis in the Philadelphia region, as well as city and community efforts to combat it with SILVANA MAZZELLA, associate executive director of  Prevention Point Philadelphia, CAROL ROSTUCHER, president of Angels in Motion, MIKE NEWALL, columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer and MARIA QUIÑONES-SANCHEZ, City Councilwoman representing the 7^th District.