Democratic candidate for Erie mayor Joe Schember said the opioid crisis is the biggest problem affecting Erie, as well as the state and nation.

He said one of the key things he would like to see happen is having law enforcement investigate opioid overdoses as crime scenes, so police can target and track down the dealers.

He also supports Unified Erie, a local effort that brings federal state and local police together to solve serious issues like the opioid epidemic.

He said working together can make an impact.

"This addiction is a serious medial problem," said Schember. "We need to start addressing it that way, and we all need to work together on that. This is a problem that's shared by all races, all ethnic heritages. Your religion doesn't matter. If you get addicted, it's a serious disease, and that's the way we need to start treating it."

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