ROCKINGHAM – Opioid deaths in the United States continue to spiral out of control. Richmond County is ranked 4th in North Carolina in opioid abuse as measured by the number of opioid pills annually prescribed per resident at 132.2 compared to the statewide average of 78.3.
The Richmond County Drug Endangered Family Task Force is aiming to increase awareness among the elderly, medical and pharmacy personnel, professionals, as well as the community at large.
The Richmond County Drug Endangered Family Taskforce was organized late last year and has now begun to take root and move toward making a difference. A mission statement was developed and goals were set previously.
“The mission of the Richmond County Drug Endangered Family Task Force is to prevent prescription and illegal drug overdose,” coordinator Teressa Smith said. “The Task Force will form partnerships, raise awareness and educate the community on this public issue in hopes of reducing overdoses and increasing access to treatment.
“We deal with other issues, but the opioid crisis is a peak focus for us right now, with Richmond County being fourth in the state for opioid issues,” continued Smith.
At a meeting held this month, the team began to expand from the original core group with additional stakeholders coming to be a part of the effort. A few of the new representatives included local law enforcement, service providers and emergency medical services.
“We are trying to increase community awareness about what is going on in Richmond County in regard to the opioid crisis though education on what to do and things to watch for,” Smith noted.
In December, for example, the Task Force put flyers in the fruit bags given to senior citizens at the annual Christmas party. The flyers were designed to remind those receiving the bags of the importance of locking their medicine cabinets and other tips about drug abuse.
An upcoming event in which the Drug Endangered Family Task Force will be getting the word out is the Richmond County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Symposium. This meeting brings law enforcement, attorneys, politicians and school system officials together.
And Smith said the task force, “will present information about the opioid issue in Richmond County.”
The event will be held at the Richmond Community College’s Cole Auditorium on February 26, from 9 a.m. to 1p.m.
Additionally, the Task Force has plans to focus awareness efforts towards medical and pharmacy personnel and an open forum for the community at large.
Another action the Task Force has set its sights on is developing statistics specifically for Richmond County. One area of focus will be Narcan usage in Richmond County.
Narcan (naloxone) is the drug used to reverse the effects of an overdose of opioids. In 2016, then North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed legislation allowing Narcan to be dispensed over the counter. North Carolina was just the third state to allow Narcan sales without a perscription. It is now available either at CVS or Walgreens across the United States.
The local Task Force is looking to put information together on the use of Narcan in Richmond County to better understand how it has been used.
“Statistics are also now being compiled by the Department of Social Services on children that are born substance positive,” Smith said.
The new guidelines for recording this data came down statewide last summer and could provide some insight into the impacts, both short and long term, on children born of drug addicted mothers.
The next meeting of the Drug Endangered Family Task Force is scheduled for February 28, at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held at Richmond County Department of Health and Human Services located at 125 Caroline Street in Rockingham.
