Protesters assemble a makeshift memorial to those lost to drug overdoses last year during a demonstration in support of a proposed supervised injection site, outside the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. U.S. Attorney William McSwain believes the plan to open a supervised injection site violates the federal Controlled Substances Act and wants a federal judge to declare it illegal before it opens.
Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.
Matt Rourke / AP Photo
Protesters assemble a makeshift memorial to those lost to drug overdoses last year during a demonstration in support of a proposed supervised injection site, outside the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. U.S. Attorney William McSwain believes the plan to open a supervised injection site violates the federal Controlled Substances Act and wants a federal judge to declare it illegal before it opens.
Listen to Smart Talk every weekday at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm on WITF 89.5 & 93.3. You can also stream WITF radio live on our website or ask your smart speaker to “Play WITF Radio.”
Airdate: May 23, 2022
More than 107,000 people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. last year. That’s a 50% increase over 2019, which indicates the COVID-19 pandemic was deadly in more ways than one. Those statistics come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Pennsylvania, 5,162 people died of drug overdoses in 2020 and the incomplete numbers from 2021 show 5,224 were killed by overdoses.
Most of the overdose deaths were linked to fentanyl — the synthetic opioid that 50 times more powerful than heroin.
Many drugs purchased on the street are laced with fentanyl, without the buyer knowing it, so the user is gambling they haven’t taken a lethal dose of fentanyl.
With so much attention focused on the pandemic, the opioid epidemic has flown under the radar. What can be done to stop it?
Joining us on Monday Smart Talkis Steven Ross, Special Assistant to Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.