MILFORD, PA — Despite the commissioners’ efforts to combat heroin and other drug abuse in the county, Chairman Matt Osterberg said last week that he continues to hear regularly of new overdose cases.

So, Osterberg had little patience for area drug stores that recently refused to post a new anti-abuse poster.

Rob Mikulski of the Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission (CMPDAC) introduced the new poster, which features the photo of a 24-year-old area man who died last year of an overdose. It also carries tear-off slips with the names and phone numbers of CMPDAC and Catholic Social Services as places people can call for advice and help.

Mikulski said the hope was to track concentrated geographical areas of concern by phone responses.

Area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been distributing the posters to as many public areas as possible and plan to have a float in Milford’s annual Memorial Day Parade, said Gary Alba of the Hudson Valley Boy Scout Council.

Osterberg said the pharmacies non-participation is not new. They also have refused to collect older prescription drugs, fearing theft from collection boxes. While collection boxes are available at area law enforcement offices, “the best place is where you get them, in pharmacies,” he said.

He said the $40 billion pharmaceutical industry can readily absorb the costs. “It’s time for them to step up to the plate,” he said.

Asked why the drug stores should be responsible for what consumers do with their products, he replied, “They can help.”

Osterberg said his calls to Walmart and Rite Aid have not been returned and Rite Aid refused to even put up the new posters.

Asked if he was proposing a boycott of Rite-Aid, Osterberg replied. “I do. You do what you want.”

Tic task force

In other news, Mikki Weiss of the Pike County Tick-Borne Diseases Task Force on May 4 reported that the task force’s Sustainable Tick-borne Diseases Education Program (STEP) is working to educate residents about Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The commissioners last spring authorized the new task force, but have not funded it. Weiss said county funding is not a priority at this stage of the program. However, Dr. Robert A. Ollar, PhD, who is also a member of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health Tick and Lyme Disease Task Force, said the question of funding needs to be addressed. “We can’t even get reimbursed for mileage now,” he said.