Editor’s note: The Hanover Township (Lehigh County) Council is contacting township business owners and residents with the following information concerning an upcoming town hall meeting:

The rise of opioid and heroin addiction is affecting the community at an alarming rate. Since Jan. 1, there have been 70 overdose deaths in Lehigh County alone. In 2015, nearly 3,400 overdose deaths were reported across Pennsylvania, an increase of 23 percent over 2014, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. In Lehigh County, the overdose mortality rate was 32 deaths per 100,000 people - the 15th highest rate among the state’s 67 counties.

The face of the heroin user has changed dramatically over the last few years. It crosses gender, race, economic class and family structure. If you have children of any age in your home, you need to be educated about this problem that is tearing families apart across the Lehigh Valley.

Hanover Township, Lehigh County, is partnering with state Rep. Dan McNeill to host a town hall meeting to discuss and educate parents, students and business owners about how widespread addiction is in our community.

Rep. McNeill has hosted two public town hall meetings in other parts of his district, and has co-hosted two round-table discussions with other local state representatives. One was with Gov. Tom Wolf and the other was with Secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Gary Tennis. They were meant to strategize on how best to combat this plague.

The town hall meeting will have a panel of experts on addiction. Scheduled to attend are:

• Trooper Marc Allen, community relations officer for the Pennsylvania State Police, Bethlehem Barracks

• Scott Grim, Lehigh County coroner

• Layne Turner, Lehigh County drug and alcohol administrator

• Bill Stauffer, a recovery and treatment counselor who is himself in longterm recovery

• Donna Jacobsen, whose daughter is in longterm recovery and who is a leader for the Lehigh Valley Parent and Family Support Group

• Nichols Labar, a young man who has successfully overcome his addition and works to help others live a clean and active life

Other speakers may also attend.

A question-and-answer session will follow the mail presentation.

The town hall meeting will be held 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Days Inn at 3400 Airport Road, across from Lehigh Valley International Airport.

Attendees will learn the facts about this growing problem that is taking lives, young and old, on a daily basis throughout the state.

There will be information about the dangers of prescription opioids, the signs of addiction, the most effective methods of treatment and how to work together to fight this crisis and protect loved ones.

At the Aug. 7 meeting of the Hanover Township Council, Councilman Bob Heimbecker asked the township staff to contact Catasauqua High School about the town hall meeting.

“I think it is important that they be there and get the information,” he said. “These are people at high risk.