Community coming together to help combat drug issues

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Drug addiction does not just happen to people who want to “get high.” It does not just happen to unemployed people or people of low income. It can happen to anyone.

Some have become addicted after having oral surgery, regular surgery, an automobile accident, after an injury at work, after a sports or other injury and other causes.

They had no idea they would become addicted to a drug. Having worked to make a difference with the drug situation in Taylor County, I would like to share some of the efforts that have taken place.

In asking for state assistance or funding, the answer was always that drug efforts should take place through local endeavors.

The legislature had passed the needle exchange and the Nalaxon (Narcan) bill. The obvious moves seemed to be to see what could be done to expand upon those approvals, and to get local organizations to become involved.

Efforts toward recovery would also be a focus. Special thanks to Rep. Bam Carney and Sen. Max Wise for their support.

Sixty percent of the participants going to the Adair County needle exchange in 2018 were from Taylor County.

At that time, Taylor County had no needle exchange program, and ranked 75th in the number of HIV and Hep C cases in the United States!

HIV and Hep C are rapidly spread through the sharing of dirty needles. That was the main reason for trying to have a needle exchange program.

Working with several individuals, the program was approved for Taylor County.

In the past year, the needle exchange program in Taylor County has had 175 individuals who came on a consistent basis, and 17,000 needles were collected. That’s 17,000 needles that were not shared and did not contribute toward HIV and Hep C.

There have been no adverse actions to having the needle exchange program at the Health Department. Participants can receive testing for HIV and Hep C and can be referred for assistance to get into rehab.

Kim McKenna, at One Cross Clinic, quickly came on board to help in many ways.

She shared information with the health department letting needle exchange participants know they could go to One Cross Clinic where they could receive counseling, testing for HIV and Hep C, rehab referral and could possibly start on Vivitrol, which can decrease the urge for drugs and help lead to a road of recovery.

It is not an easy task for addicts to just stop taking drugs, as they go into withdrawal and become seriously ill.

Addiction is a disease of the brain and affects the entire body.

McKenna will have a second meeting for Celebrate Recovery at New Journey Church at 1 p.m. on Feb. 9.

Two churches in Campbellsville have committed to having the program, and there are hopes more will commit on Feb. 9.

McKenna received funding, and numerous training materials, for both Celebrate Recovery and Narcotics Anonymous. She also obtained a three-day training session for several clinicians in the area through sources at Betty Ford/Hazelden Clinic.

The training helped identify needs of addicts and how to better provide assistance.

Laura Wilds has a Narcotics Anonymous program at Campbellsville Christian Church, with 70-plus people who meet each Thursday night.

A meal is provided and a missionary group from the church provides a large Thanksgiving meal for the participants. Visitors are welcome. Since Laura has the NA program, McKenna gave the NA materials to her.

With connections made by Michael Rodenburg and actions of Chamber Director Kristin Davis, individuals from the Kentucky Chamber will be conducting a two-hour Opioid Round Table in Campbellsville in February.

The Round Table will focus on changing the stigma of addiction and helping businesses think about their drug plans for their companies.

Through the first and future opioid sessions, employers will see they can have a “zero tolerance policy” but also provide information of assistance to individuals who may need it.

McKenna has obtained resources whereby national speakers can come to Campbellsville and give presentations pertaining to addiction. This training will be in conjunction with the Campbellsville/Taylor County Chamber of Commerce and serve as a follow-up to the training in February.

As a member of the Association for Substance Abuse Policy, I was delighted the association provided the first Narcan sprays for our police department.

They were also able to provide a large number of sprays to our EMS department.

In October, ASAP provided numerous activities to be done at the schools during Drug Awareness Week.

At the end of January, ASAP will host high school students to a full day of mock trials at the Taylor County Justice Center.

Volunteers from the community will serve as parents as these students go through various drug court mock trials.

In addition, ASAP will have a Drug Awareness Night at the upcoming Campbellsville-Taylor County boys’ and girls’ basketball games.

Information will be shared on the screen, various brochures will be distributed and prizes will be given.

T-shirts saying, “Shoot Hoops, Not Drugs,” will be worn during warmups by both the girls’ and boys’ teams from each school.

Bev Lee is using part of the old St. Catharine College near Springfield as a place of rehab for female addicts who are released from the Taylor County Detention Center.

They are taken by van directly from the detention center to St. Catharine.

While attending an interagency meeting, I met the director of workforce development from the Lake Cumberland Area Development District. She shared about a program for inmates to prepare them for the workforce. I began working with her to try to get the program in Taylor County. At this time, they have approved to come here, and are awaiting approval from our jailer. They start with inmates when they have reached the last 90 days of incarceration, and do everything possible to get the inmates ready for the workforce. There are numerous resource people who work with the inmates to provide invaluable services. Many businesses are involved and willing to help these individuals get back to work. Goodwill provides clothing for job interviews and other assistance. They even provide an automobile for those who may qualify. LCADD also helps place those who want, and need, to go to a rehab facility. This program has been very successful in surrounding counties.

Campbellsville also is a site for The Healing Place, a 100 bed long-term recovery program for men. While this is not a local effort, it does receive a specific amount of funding from the city. When participants reach the final stages of the program, they are allowed to go into the community and provide volunteer services. They have been found to be valuable and dependable workers.

Coroner Daniel Cook believes the final number of overdose deaths in Taylor County for the past year was eight, which has been our average. This brings it to a total of 56 overdose deaths of Taylor County residents in the past seven years. There may be more, as overdoses are often hard to detect from respiratory and coronary arrest. This is 56 hurting families, plus more from previous years.

These may well not be all the drug efforts underway in Taylor County, but they are the ones of which I am aware. There may also be a rehab for women.

It is extremely hard to get an individual to rehab until they are ready. Short-term rehab seldom is effective. There is still a lot that needs to be done toward the drug issue in Taylor County. Prescriptions are now monitored through the KASPER program, and there is much more awareness about possible patient addiction.

We must change the way we look down upon those suffering from addiction and realize it can happen to anyone.

This guest editorial was written by Faye Howell, Campbellsville City Council member.