According to the Guilford County Division of Public Health, every day, about 12 people in North Carolina die from a drug overdose. Guilford County has introduced a multitude of programs to address the problem – and much of the money funding those programs comes from federal American Rescue Act Plan funds and from the national multi-billion dollar lawsuit settlement of the suit that local governments brought against opioid makers and distributors.
As part of the effort to battle drug abuse and reduce overdoses, coinciding with National Recovery Month, Guilford County’s Public Health’s Drug and Injury Prevention Program will host a free Naloxone and Overdose Awareness Training event on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The training will take place at the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services building at 1203 Maple St. in Greensboro in Rooms 122 and 123. The training is free but the county is asking people to register ahead of time at https://bit.ly/3M3Y8Ue.
The purpose of the event is to educate the public on overdose awareness, promote substance abuse treatment and mental health services, and train the community on the use of medication available to reverse drug overdose.
More than 1,600 people currently take the medication Buprenorphine – also known as Suboxone or Subutex – to maintain their recovery from substance use disorder.
In 2022, Guilford County had an overdose rate of over 42 people 100,000 residents. That’s 228 overdose deaths and it’s higher than the state average of 41.4 per 100,000 residents.
In 2023, Guilford County Emergency Services responded to 1,313 suspected overdose calls and administered 1,900 doses of Naloxone. From January 1 to June 30, 2024, Emergency Services responded to 523 suspected overdose calls and administered 786 doses.
At the Thursday, Sept. 5 Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting, the board proclaimed September “National Recovery Month” in order to highlight the importance of substance abuse treatment and prevention and to show support for those who struggle with addiction.
Guilford County officials say the county has been a leader in the state in providing “effective and accessible” treatment via the Guilford County Behavioral Health Centers with collaborative partners like Cone Health, Alexander Youth Network, Daymark, and RHA.
Residents can visit the Guilford County Mental Health Resources webpage to find information on mental and behavioral health resources the county and other agencies offer.
The theme for this year’s National Recovery Month is “Every Person. Every Family. Every Community.”
Amanda Clark, Guilford County’s Drug and Injury Prevention Manager, expressed the immense seriousness of the problem nationally.
“In 2024, overdose continues to be the leading cause of death for people under 50 years old in the United States,” Clark said.
Guilford County sent out a list of the programs implemented to address the opioid crisis:
- Established the Guilford Overdose Prevention and Education Collective made up of people with lived experience, representatives from healthcare, local non-profits, first responders, and human services. The collective aims to connect the community with resources to prevent loss of life due to overdose.
- Between January 1 and July 31 of this year, Guilford County Public Health’s Drug and Injury Prevention Program distributed 3,017 Naloxone kits to people and to community organizations working to prevent overdose in Guilford County. (In 2023, the program trained 1,026 individuals in overdose prevention and Naloxone use.)
- In April 2024, the Drug and Injury Prevention Program began offering free Naloxone and Overdose Awareness Trainings like the one coming up on September 14.
- During Fiscal Year 2023-2024, Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Problem (GCSTOP) –a Guilford County and UNC Greensboro collaboration – served 1,552 people in Guilford County by providing services such as Naloxone and safer use supplies and connecting residents to services like behavioral health and drug treatment and a Medication Assisted Treatment program.
- GCSTOP also distributed 5,654 kits of Naloxone in Guilford County and the program’s participants reported 1,733 overdose reversals with the kits that GCSTOP gave out.
Glad to see Guilford County working on this issue by making narcan available, hiring a Drug and Injury Manager and purchasing the retirement center on Pisgah Ch Rd to convert to a recovery center. If you’ve had a friend or loved one taken over by addiction, you’ll know how important these efforts are and how some of society considers addition just a moral failing and not a medical condition to be treated.
The Information Technology folks have a saying GIGO – Garbage In = Garbage Out.
Our bodies are no different. If one knowingly invests toxic or potentially harmful substances, they should be prepared for whatever the worst case scenario may be. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, no free Narcan, no free training, just free consequences.
How can I say that? Quite easily, because I live it. I’ve had several relatives go through addictions and have told every one the same thing every time. Addicts will not change for anyone other than themselves. You cannot “help” an addict. No amount of money, or resources, no court ordered programs, or touchy feely things will make any lasting difference until they decide to change themselves for themselves. Doing it for others is a farce. theyll do it for a short time to appease the judge, a spouse, or a child, but it never lasts.
If I walk over and intentionally pick up an Eastern Copperhead, or a Black Mamba I should be willing to accept all potential outcomes and prepare accordingly. One could argue it wouldn’t make sense to just walk over & pick it up, but some people will do it anyway.
JS
You might start with arresting and convicting Drug traffickers, distributors, peddlers, etc. First start is to close the borders, Kamala.