Team Meetings Sage’s Army Team Meetings are attended by a group of dedicated volunteer individuals, along with the Officers and Directors, who help map out our present and future events. We would like to hear from any of you about ideas that

you may have and want to contribute or, if you would like to attend the Team meeting in

person, just contact one of our staff or e-mail admin@sagesarmy.com.

Sage’s Army, Inc., P.O. Box 156, Westmoreland City, PA 15692. Phone: (724) 863-LIFE (5433). Access to this Newsletter can be found at our Website: www.sagesarmy.com, Email: admin@sagesarmy.com

Who we are…

Sage’s Army was

created by Carmen

Capozzi and his family

after his son, Sage

Capozzi, 20, died of a

heroin overdose. They

felt it was important to raise awareness of

drug problems among youth and erase the

fear of talking to parents about them.

Sage’s Army has grown and continues its

movement as a grass roots, non-profit, all

volunteer group who offers bi-monthly

Family Reinforcement/Recovery Sessions,

bi-monthly Grief meetings (for those who

have lost loved ones to this epidemic), a

monthly Coffee Break for women,

presentations to schools, churches, or

groups wanting to learn more about

addiction. We also offer a 24/7 Phone Line

assistance. Please see Page 7 (Headquarters

News) of this Newsletter for full details.

Spring 2019

Our Mission Statement Our mission is to address issues related to drug and alcohol addiction by

providing informational support to children and families by raising

awareness ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

WANTED Sage’s Army is looking for

volunteers interested in helping with administrative functions, or just like helping with our Army.

We are also interested in interviewing interested dedicated persons to serve on our Board

of Directors. Please contact us at 724-863-5433 or by email at

admin@Sagesarmy.com

Sage’s Army, Inc. Newsletter Page 2

“We need to stop just pulling people out of the

river.

We need to go up stream and find out WHY

they’re falling in.”

~Desmond Tutu

~Carrie Fisher

Events We Attended Jan 8 – Team Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Jan 23 – Elliot Company for Bridge to the Community. Table set up for this popular yearly meeting. Jan 24 – Monessen Middle School Presentation by Carmen and Sage’s Army. Feb 8 – Sage’s Army tours DreamLife Recovery (a new treatment facility) in Donegal. It is a very beautiful, Spa-like facility with wonderful faculty. Feb 8 – Open House at Gateway (Frick) Rehab in Mount Pleasant. The facility now has 10 beds for detox and 23 beds for inpatient. Feb 11 – Carmen spoke at the Norwin Rotary. Feb 15 – Carmen spoke at UPMC facilities in McKeesport. Feb 23 – Narcan Training at the United Methodist Church. Mar 4 – Attended the meeting “Listening Tour about Recreational Marijuana” with Lt Gov John Fetterman. Mar 5 – Sage’s Army Team meeting at Headquarters. Mar 6 – OVERDOSE AWARENESS Black Balloon Day. Mar 14 – Yough Symposium, Carmen speaking along with Sage’s Army display. Mar 16 – “Join the Solution” at Courthouse, a Community Advocacy forum. Mar 27 – Cindy attended the WCCC Gambling Conference.

Mar 28 –Carmen speaking at the Somerset School. Mar 29 – Carmen, et al speaking at Westmoreland Case Management.

Upcoming Events Apr 2 – Team Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters.

Apr 5 – Coffee Break for Women at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Apr 10 – Grief without Stigma Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Apr 10 – Carmen at Pro A Family Focus Group meeting in Harrisburg. Apr 11 - Family Reinforcement/Recovery Group Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Apr 19 – Carmen to Harrisburg for the Parent Panel Advisory Board. Apr 24 – Carmen invited to a panel at West Virginia University. Apr 24 – Grief without Stigma Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Apr 25 – Family Reinforcement/Recovery Group Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. May 2 – Mental Health of South Western Pa Awards (Sage’s Army Recipient), Ramada, Greensburg at 6pm. May 3 – Coffee Break for Women at Sage’s Army Headquarters. May 7 – Team Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. May 8 – Grief without Stigma Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. May 9 – Family Reinforcement/Recovery Group Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. May 22 - Grief without Stigma Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. May 23– Family Reinforcement/Recovery Group Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Jun 4 – Team Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Jun 7 – Coffee Break for Women at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Jun 12 – Grief without Stigma Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Jun 13 - Family Reinforcement/Recovery Group Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Jun 26 - Grief without Stigma Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters. Jun 27 – Family Reinforcement/Recovery Group Meeting at Sage’s Army Headquarters.

Quotes

of the

QUARTER

“The only person you are destined to become is the person YOU decide to be.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sage’s Army, Inc. Newsletter Page 3

Sage’s Army Successes

We are so honored…Mental Health America of Southwestern Pa has awared this years

Innovation Award for RECOVERY to Sage’s Army for offering support, guidance, and

encouragement for those dealing with substance abuse issues. We could not be more

humbled.

Newsworthy Tidbits Not so lucky…yes, Westmoreland County death stats are down but, unfortunately, other counties and nearby

states are battling this devastating crisis.

Vietnam war casualties…more Americans died from O.D. in 2016 than the entirety of the

Vietnam war of 58,200.

Yes, survival after O.D…being attributed to Narcan and also the populous

becoming more educated by advocacy groups such as ours.

Connecticut battling serious drugs…fatal fentanyl O.D. increase 12 percent.

Alarming Deception…State Attorney Generals accuse Purdue Pharma of using deceptive marketing practices

to push opioids without warnings.

8 Eastern states in last decade…quadrupled O.D. deaths: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana,

Massachusetts, Maryland, Maines, New Hampshire and Ohio.

Bad news in Washington, D.C…opioid death rate has tripled every year since 2013.

It’s not legal in Pennsylvania…510 pounds of marijuana seized on Pa turnpike in Mt.

Pleasant township.

7 percent increase…in past 2 decades…fatal car crashes have shown narcotics in their

system.

From Ex-DEA agent…opioid crisis is fueled by Pharmaceutical industry and

Congress.

Local Doctor brings death…he prescribed 104,000 pills to 9 patients, one dies of O.D.

More help is needed…West Virginia has had the Nation’s highest rate of O.D. deaths for years

and continues to have that distinction.

Don’t let this be you…mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders go hand in hand.

It’s happening right here, from California…Hempfield dealer had 55lbs of pot, 2200 vape pens

that have THC (psychoactive substance in pot) and steroids.

Be vigilant…Pa., until recently, has been doubling O.D. deaths every 2 years since 2013.

Recent Stats from Westmoreland Co. Drug Court 30 Total Graduates 63 percent Male Graduates 60 cases split between Judges Feliciani and Bilik-DeFazio $300,000 Annual Budget 49 participants since the program began (27 men, 22 women) 18 people awaiting assessments to join the program (13 men, 5 women)

By 2022, it is expected the Opioid deaths would peak at about 75,400 and begin to level off afterward. This is according to recent studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recovery Is Self-Directed and Empowering.

Recovery Involves personal recognition of need for change and transformation.

Sage’s Army, Inc. Newsletter Page 4

Carmen Capozzi, President, Sage’s Army, Inc.: “Abstaining from drugs

and alcohol does not guarantee emotional sobriety. To achieve that,

we have to abstain from the emotional stress.”

Center for Disease and Prevention: “Almost two decades after the

widening use of prescription painkillers began to fuel an epidemic of

of addiction, opiates kill an average of 130 people a day in the U.S.”

Dr Donald Burke, University of Pittsburgh, studying the American

Drug Epidemic: “These people either are treated or die of overdoses,

they form a “reservoir” of potential victims for the spiraling epidemic.”

Dr Jagpreet Chhatwal, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts

General Hospital: “The Opioid Epidemic is not finished growing. It is

far from over and it is far from moving in the right direction.”

Judge Christopher Feliciani, Westmd Drug Treatment Court: “There is

just so much more awareness and it’s becoming more of a targeted

issue that absolutely has to be addressed by the community as a whole.”

Brian Kephart, Executive Clinical Director at Strive Health in Greensburg: “It has been a

topic of discussion for quite some time. This disease likes secrecy, so when it starts to

become known, that has an impact.”

Recovery Is supported by peers and allies

Westmoreland County NEWS!

Recently it has been announced that Drug Deaths, including from opioids, PLUNGED in Westmoreland County compared to 2016 and 2017. It has been kindly mentioned by others that Sage’s Army, and our Advocacy group, Narcan, along with other organizations in Westmoreland County, can be greatly credited with making these new statistics possible. Let us not let our guard down. We will continue to work harder than ever to make the statistics even better next year.

NOTABLE QUOTES

Recovery Exists on a continuum of improved health and wellness.

Recovery Emerges from hope and gratitude.

Purdue Pharma… Is considering bankruptcy to avoid thousands of lawsuits because of its role in the opioid epidemic that has been blamed for the surge in drug deaths.

The Clean Slate LAW…New in Pa. First of its kind in the Nation, passed to help give offenders fresh starts. Nonviolent misdemeanor and summary convictions can be removed from public records under this new law, and give those with drug convictions a chance to change their lives after recovery. Call an attorney to help you.

Pa is 3rd Most

Deadliest State in

the Nation for

Drug Overdoses.

(44.3 deaths per

100,000 residents)

Sage’s Army, Inc. Newsletter Page 5

QUESTIONS and Answers DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? Let us help you find the answer.

What do I do if someone overdoses and I do not have Narcan? Roll them on their back, tilt their head back, remove anything in their mouth. Pinch their nose shut. Take a deep breath and breathe into their mouth, 2 breaths to start, then 1 breath every 4 seconds. Breathing for them can keep them alive, but call 911 ASAP. My friend overdosed and was afraid to call the paramedics for fear they would be in trouble with the police.? Hopefully you called 911. The paramedics have oxygen and Narcan and can take a person to the hospital. If you did not call the person may have died. Responders are here to help you.

How do I know if someone I am with has overdosed? Slow breathing, lips or skin looks blue or gray, eyes rolled back, limp and unresponsive, slow pulse. Call 911. What are Opioids? Medicines for pain: Vicodin, Codeine, OxyContin, Percocet, Opana,

Methadone, and Fentanyl. Heroin is also an opioid. Make sure if you are on pain medicine that you are being closely supervised by your physician. I think my daughter may be using drugs. What signs should I be noticing besides some recent personality changes? Marijuana: eyes glassy, red, loud talking, sleepiness, loss of interest, weight loss or gain Alcohol: slurred speech, sleepiness, dilated pupil’s clumsiness Depressants: seems drunk but without odor of alcohol, slurred speech, contracted pupils Stimulant: hyperactivity, irritability, anxiety, weight loss, all followed by depression Heroin: needle marks, sweating, vomiting, coughing, sniffling, twitching, loss appetite, no response of pupils to light What physical signs should I be noticing if I suspect my son is using drugs of some sort? Unexplained weight loss or gain and changed eating habits, frequent rubbing of nose, irregular heartbeat, tremors or shaking of feet or head, runny nose, hacking cough, extreme hyperactivity, very talkative, puffy face, cold sweaty palms, red watery eyes, pupils larger or smaller than usual, sleeping problems, laziness, poor physical condition and health. Overall as a parent it is important you note any changes in your child’s physical appearance, personality, attitude or behavior. ASK the Question and we will find the answer. Submit questions to newsletter@sagesarmy.com or by snail mail to Sage’s Army Inc., PO Box 156, Westmoreland City, Pa.

15692

Recovery Involves a process of healing and re-definition.

Recovery Involves addressing discrimination and transcending shame and stigma.

Sage’s Army, Inc. Newsletter Page 6

For the First Time, We’re More Likely to Die from Accidental Opioid Overdose Than Motor

Vehicle Crash JANUARY 14, 2019

National Safety Council (NSC) analysis reveals trends that worsen the odds of dying accidentally. Itasca, IL – For the first time in U.S. history, a person is more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than from a motor vehicle crash, according to National Safety Council analysis. The odds of dying accidentally from an opioid overdose have risen to one in 96, eclipsing the odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash (one in

103). NSC unveiled the analysis on Injury Facts – the definitive resource for data around unintentional, preventable injuries, commonly known as “accidents.” The nation’s opioid crisis is fueling the Council’s grim probabilities, and that crisis is worsening with an influx of illicit fentanyl. “We’ve made significant strides in overall longevity in the United States, but we are dying from things typically called accidents at rates we haven’t seen in half a century,” said Ken Kolosh, manager of statistics at NSC. “We cannot be complacent about 466 lives lost every day. This new analysis reinforces that we

must consistently prioritize safety at work, at home and on the road to prevent these dire outcomes.”

NSC analysis also shows that falls – the third leading cause of preventable death behind drug overdose and motor vehicle crashes – are more likely to kill someone than ever before. The lifetime odds of dying from an accidental fall are one in 114 – a change from one in 119 just a year ago. To keep the public up to date on the latest injury and fatality trends, the Council has added “Poisonings,” “Older Adult Falls,” “Fire-Related Fatalities and Injuries,” and “Deaths by Transportation Mode” to Injury Facts. To demonstrate why Americans should be more concerned about preventable injuries than headline-grabbing catastrophes, the Council also added designated pages about airplane crashes, railroad deaths and consumer products – all issues that tend to spark nationwide anxiety but lead to far fewer fatal incidents than routine, everyday activities such as taking medication, driving or getting out of bed. Preventable injuries are the third leading cause of death, claiming an unprecedented 169,936 lives in 2017 and trailing only heart disease and cancer. Of the three leading causes of death, preventable injuries were the only category to experience an increase in 2017, according to NSC analysis of the CDC data issued in December. A person’s lifetime odds of dying from any preventable, accidental cause are one in 25 – a change from one in 30 in 2004. Additional new data on Injury Facts – digitized last spring after 98 years of hardcover publication – include:

• Bicycle deaths, which increased 28% since 2010 • Deaths by sex, age and cause, revealing more men die from preventable causes than women • Intentional vs. preventable deaths, with preventable deaths far outnumbering intentional ones

Visit injuryfacts.nsc.org for the Council’s complete Odds of Dying From … list and other information about leading causes of preventable death.

About the National Safety Council The National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.

Article of the Quarter

Recovery Involves re-joining and rebuilding a life in the community.

Recovery Is a reality, it CAN, WILL, and DOES happen.

Sage’s Army, Inc. Newsletter Page 7

RESOURCE PHONE NUMBERS Westmoreland County Drug and Alcohol Commission – 800 220-1810 ext. 2 Allegheny County Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services – 412 350-3328 Butler County MH/MR Drug and Alcohol – 800 292-3866 Cambria County MH/MR Drug and Alcohol – 814 536-5388 Clarion/Armstrong/Indiana Drug and Alcohol – 724 354-2746 Fayette County Drug and Alcohol - 724 354-2746 Somerset County Drug and Alcohol – 800 452-0218 Washington D&A Commission – 724 223-1181 Westmoreland CRISIS Hotline – 800 836-6010 Alcoholics Anonymous – 866 851-8459 Narcotics Anonymous – 800 992-0401 PA Get Help Now Helpline – 800 662-4357 Sage’s Army Helpline – 724 863-5433

Headquarters News…

Sage’s Army will schedule a presentation to your school, company, church, or any group.

For a listing of In/Out Patient Treatment Facilities please go to our website (sagesarmy.com) and look under Addiction Resources OR call the Sage’s Army Help Line at (724) 863-5433.

Sage’s Army is a non-profit

organization that solely depends on your contributions. Your $ can help us continue our work. Awareness, Compassion, and Action…Latest Tribune Review announces 36% less OD’s in our county, mostly due to AWARENESS programs. This is what Sage’s Army is all about. Thank you for your continued support!

Sage’s Army will schedule a presentation to your school, company, church, or any group. Please download our Presentation Form under What We Do, Projects, then Presentations on our website at Sagesarmy.com

Sage’s Army, Inc. Newsletter Page 8

Sage’s Army, Inc. is a 501 © (3)-non-

profit organization. All donations to

which tax deductible to the fullest

extent permitted by law are, are tax

deductible. To donate to Sage’s Army,

please visit us on the web at

sagesarmy.com.

From OUR President,

Carmen Capozzi… I love you all but some of my dearest friends still do not get it. The world will donate to an animal shelter because it’s easy and it makes you good to save an animal. Well these are our Children, our Mothers, our Fathers, our Grandparents. They are people. Stop judging and help support. Families are being destroyed by addiction and there are Big Pharma companies lobbying our government to look the other way. We need to tear down the wall of ignorance and judgement. The world needs to stop judging and ask…” How can I help?”. Get educated! Please Share.

Your Business Card HERE… $40.00 for business card size for 3 months. $110.00 for 4 X 5 insert for 3 months. $120.00 for business card size for 12 months (paid in advance). Distribution: Hard copies to professionals, churches, medical offices, events, meetings, schools, etc. Extensive database distribution, local social media (15,000) and millions on the web. For additional information, contact newsletter team by email at: newsletter@sagesarmy.com

Again, Our Thanks to the ever-

diligent Tim Phillips, Director of the Drug Overdose Task Force in Westmoreland County and Detective Tony Marcocci as they explained to the Tribune Review that along with Prevention and Treatment, we need Recovery Houses to deal with the healing process…and we need them here in our back yard. Special Thanks to our First Responders and law enforcement personnel who are doing a fantastic job in saving lives and catching the bad guys. Thank you from all of us! Troopers administered more than 200 doses of Narcan and taken 66 million dollars’ worth of OD drugs off the Penna highways in 2018. THANK YOU’s go out to our Sage’s Army phone line volunteers for their unrelenting efforts to man our phone lines, helping those who need us. Your efforts do not go unnoticed! Thanks also to our volunteers taking the time to conduct sessions at our Headquarters to give support, guidance, and encouragement to those in need!