As the opioid crisis continues, officials here and in other cities are trying new strategies for targeting suppliers and protecting victims. That's what has to be done - keep trying until we find the combination of tools that works the best.

In Washington County, where officials were early leaders in giving a reversal drug to police departments, the latest effort targets jail inmates. Those thought to be at risk for opioids after release will receive counseling and Vivitrol, a drug that blunts the cravings for drugs and alcohol for about 30 days. In addition, they will get help with scheduling post-release substance abuse counseling and, if necessary, with arranging Medicaid coverage to cover future Vivitrol shots.Vivitrol for prisoners is not entirely new.Under a pilot project, the state Department of Corrections began giving Vivitrol to female inmates at SCI Muncy in Lycoming County and arranged for them to have five more injections after their release. Last June, Corrections Secretary John Wetzel reported the program was successful and had been expanded to include male inmates at four prisons. The department last year also awarded $1.5 million to 13 counties for Vivitrol programs. Washington County was not among them.As the new program for inmates kicks off, the Washington County Opioid Overdose Coalition also is working to obtain an app that would allow better collection of overdose data from first responders. That is important, especially in light of a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that analyzed deaths in Minnesota and found that many likely related to opioids instead had been attributed to other causes such as pneumonia.A growing number of government bodies are taking aim at drug manufacturers and distributors thought to be flooding communities with painkillers. Ohio last week sued five manufacturers and their subsidiaries, but that didn't satisfy the city of Dayton, which filed its own suit targeting manufacturers and subsidiaries as well as distributors and physicians accused of inappropriate prescribing practices. Another city, Lorain, also plans to file its own suit. Pennsylvania should do so as well.Reversal drugs for police departments, Vivitrol for inmates and other policies, such as a Pennsylvania law limiting the prescribing of opioids to children and in emergency departments, all have roles to play in combating the opioid epidemic.Those responsible for the epidemic aren't giving up. Among more than two dozen drug-related arrests Tuesday in Harrisburg, the state attorney general's office announced charges against a ring of 13 people for using a prescription pad stolen from an orthopedic practice to obtain $54,000 worth of oxycodone, which they allegedly sold in the Lehigh Valley. That case underscores how far the battle is from being won. New ideas and new tools will be needed for the foreseeable future.- Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.