Jason Snyder of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs addressed Panther Valley High School students on the seriousness of the opioid epidemic and how addiction has affected his family. Here is some of the advice that Snyder gave students:

Epidemic of overdose deathsThere were more than 2,500 deaths from overdose in Pennsylvania in 2014 - more than the number of deaths caused by car crashes, making it the leading cause of accidental death. Of those, at least 800 were caused not by heroin, but by pain medication that can be prescribed by a doctor."You truly are in a unique place today, right in the middle of the worst public health crisis that anybody in this room has ever seen," Snyder said.Addiction is a diseaseThe people who suffer from addiction look like anyone else. The representation of a disheveled drug user actually only represents a small part of the whole issue, Snyder said."Certainly I'm no doctor, I don't understand brain chemistry, but I do know the American Medical Association, among many other experts, classifies addiction as a disease, a brain disease," he said.It can start harmlesslySnyder was clear about the addictive qualities of prescription medication, and how it leads people to seek out harder drugs. He said that communities across the commonwealth are "flooded with prescription medications," and when people become dependent on them, heroin is close behind."(Withdrawal), it's a feeling of hopelessness, mentally. If they can't get their prescription medications, there's plenty of heroin in the community."It can happen to anyoneSnyder described the supportive parents and happy family he had, and how opioids tore them apart. His two brothers died of heroin overdoses within two years, and during that time Snyder hid the fact that he was addicted to OxyContin."Anyone can become addicted. Even when I was actively using drugs when my brothers died, I did not believe I could get to the point they were at. I believed 'that's not me, that's never going to happen to me.' I would find ways to rationalize my drug use."Narcan saves livesWe would suggest that anyone who has an opioid in their home should have naloxone. Certainly anyone who has a family member who is struggling with an opioid addiction needs Narcan. It's a safe medication, there are no side effects. It's a very safe drug. I would encourage you to think about that - if you have brothers, sisters, cousins struggling with the disease. Naloxone saves lives - in almost a year and a half, hundreds of lives have been saved in Pennsylvania.Don't be afraid to talkSnyder said while there is still stigma about the disease, talking with others is a step toward recovery. He encouraged students not to be reluctant to talk to trusted teachers, guidance counselors and parents."Never be afraid to ask for help. I was for many years, I denied my addiction, I thought I could pull out of it on my own. I would just encourage you to be smart, be willing to ask questions, be willing to engage in conversation with trusted adults about this topic.