No matter how many times one reads opioid overdose statistics, they don’t become easier to stomach – especially when so many victims of addiction are friends, family members and classmates.
In Dublin, many residents have been personally affected by the opioid epidemic, and are looking to civic leaders to raise awareness and help solve this issue. Those same civic leaders aren’t backing down from the challenge.
Dublin AM Rotary
Bonnie Coley-Malir
Each year, the club’s president chooses an initiative on which the Dublin AM Rotary will focus. Recognizing the critical problem, Rotary President Bonnie Coley-Malir has chosen to hone in on the opioid crisis.
“I think we all, in our community, know someone who has gone through a struggle with opiate addiction,” Coley-Malir says. “Two of our members have children who are recovering, and … seeing what they have gone through has been really eye-opening for me.”
In a partnership with Syntero, the Rotary brings in speakers to discuss the crisis and what members can do to help. Speakers have included representatives from Dublin City Schools, Syntero, ADAMH Board of Franklin County and the Washington Township Fire Department.
Coley-Malir has also focused on educating members to keep an account of all medication at home, keep it secure and safely dispose of it when it’s not in use.
“Every time we have a meeting, there have been so many questions and so much interest,” says Coley-Malir. “Education is power. If our members can go out and share with one or two other people what they’ve learned from our programs, then we’re making an impact.”
By the end of June, Coley-Malir hopes to continue her initiative, increase awareness on the epidemic and educate others on the positive effects of keeping medications secure.
“It’s been very, very eye-opening,” says Coley-Malir. “You see people’s eyes go big listening to these presentations. … People want to come and talk about it.”
Washington Township Fire Department
Washington Township Fire Chief Alec O’Connell says that, in 2015, he began to realize that overdose runs weren’t just isolated events, but evidence of a larger problem.
When the number of doses of naloxone, the medication that stops the effects of opioids during an overdose, began to go up, the fire department started taking notes.
In 2015, the department administered 26 doses of naloxone total. That number doubled by 2017; as of Dec. 12, the fire department had administered 64 doses.
“You see people at these meetings who have no skin in the game, they have no kids. They’re just there to help." - O'Connell
The fire department now administers naloxone to anyone found unconscious on a run, as the drug has no side effects for those not experiencing an overdose. But not only have more people been overdosing, O’Connell says, those who have overdosed now require more doses of naloxone to have an effect.
In addition to the increase in awareness and naloxone administered, like Rotary, the fire department is focusing on helping the community keep their prescription drugs locked up when not in use.
“What if, when people have opiates, they have a locked bag to put them in? If it’s your son and daughter, and they cut the bottom out, you can say, ‘We have a problem,’” says O’Connell. “The trustees were 100 percent on board.”
Though the fire department has a limited number of bags, those in need of one can contact the fire department at www.wtwp.com. The fire department has given out more than 100 lockable prescription bags, and through partnerships with Syntero and doctor offices, O’Connell hopes to continue seeing the number grow.
“One of the greatest things we have is the community. It’s just a great community,” says O’Connell. “You see people at these meetings who have no skin in the game, they have no kids. They’re just there to help. They’re educated on the issues and they’re highly connected, so I think that’s what makes Dublin different.”
Washington Township Fire Chief Alec O'Connell
Dublin Police Department
At the police department, Police Chief Heinz von Eckartsberg says finding the right way to work on the problem hasn’t been easy.
“It’s very hard to track how you’re doing in the war on drugs,” says von Eckartsberg. “Just by arresting people, are you really addressing the issue?”
Police Chief Heinz von Eckartsberg
The department began by tracking crime sprees. Often, when one person is committing several similar crimes in a short period of time, the crimes can be tied to drug abuse.
The department also installed a prescription drop-off box at the Dublin Justice Center and instated Take-back Tuesdays, part of a national initiative to collect and safely dispose of unused and expired prescription medicine. The initiatives have been wildly successful.
“Oh my gosh, we got almost 100 pounds of narcotics over two Tuesdays. That was very successful,” says von Eckartsberg. “They got quite a bit of traction.”
The department is also working with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office task force. If a victim of an overdose survives, a department member will visit the victim in the hospital to help him or her seek treatment and provide mental health support.
When an overdose happens, however, the police and fire departments agree. If there’s an opportunity to provide naloxone to an overdose victim, there’s no question.
“If we have a simple method available to us to bring someone back from the brink of death, we’re going to use it,” von Eckartsberg says. “Nobody deserves to die.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
SAVE THE DATE:
Strides for Sobriety 5K
April 15, Karrer Middle School
Supporting those with addiction unable to afford to stay in rehab
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