I have spent a lot of time in the past couple weeks talking to people about addiction, drug use and the dangers and solutions for both.
Last week, I talked to Chad Allison, commander of the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, for about half an hour. The focus of the discussion was Fentanyl and the dangers of overdose these days.
This year in Barry County, we have had two overdose deaths, and the number of overdose survivors is much larger.
What’s the cause? Largely, it’s Fentanyl. Individuals choosing to use have very little if any control over what exactly they are getting. Invisible lethal doses of Fentanyl have been found in the most-used illegal substances in the area, including methamphetamine and pressed pills.
It takes only 2 milligrams of Fentanyl to overdose, but how much its that exactly? In powder form, it’s nearly nothing — equivalent to a few grains of table salt.
Those who ingest that amount or more, most often unknowingly, have but one hope — Narcan.
Naloxone is the medication itself, an opioid antagonist that, when administered, attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of opioids. It can be injected into the muscle, under the skin or into the veins, but ODET officers employ a nasal spray.
It is effective against heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and morphine, but only one of those opioids is hundreds of times stronger than others.
Narcan is available for free in many cases, and Allison urged those who may know someone at risk of an overdose to have some handy.
Some was distributed recently at a two-hour awareness event sponsored by Family Advocacy Solutions, of Monett, and Life Change in Cassville.
I dropped in on the event for photos, listening to Holly Rivera give a speech on stigma and the beginnings of a presentation relating to the law and protections provided in an overdose situation.
A couple things Rivera said stuck with me. First, she said stigma does not just affect addicts, but everyone in the community.
“You’d be surprised how many business owners, lawyers, police officers and others struggle with substance use or stigma,” she said.
From my coverage of Barry County in the last decade, what I have seen and written, and what I have not been able to write about, Rivera is spot on.
Frequently, those people are the ones who also do the second thing she said.
“After my story came out in the Democrat, I can’t tell you how many people came up to me in the store and said, ‘I didn’t know you were one of those people.’” Rivera scoffed, “Well what kind of person did you think I was?”
We have a few groups in the community — Life Change, Celebrate Recovery and Barry County Drug Court — that give our neighbors battling addiction and working toward recovery a home and a pathway.
At Celebrate Recovery’s 14-year anniversary last week, I heard Junior Hernandez speak about his recovery from alcohol, meth and other drugs. During his testimony, each time he reached a date where he had used something for the last time, he emphasized it.
The 75-100 people present also applauded just as loud for the last day he smoked marijuana as the last day he used methamphetamine. If you’ve never been to one of the CR meetings, I’d encourage you to go. The bedrock of support for one another in that room is incredible. No matter who you are or what you are dealing with, you have a place should you choose to take it.
Yet, many would shrug off this group because of the stigma. What I see are people trying to better themselves, and like the rest of us in any endeavor, they may not always succeed.
I would, however, be willing to guarantee the success rate is greater than if these groups were not here.
I commend the work being done, and I know all those groups know there is more work to do. A community rooted in support over stigma is one I hope to life in, and it takes all of us doing our parts.
Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014. In 2017, he was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers, and in 2022, he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE. He may be reached at 417-847 2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.
