“It takes a community, a village, to help people,”
Sentiments by Dr. Monty Burks was the overall consensus Tuesday evening during the Community Conservations on Opioids: A Town Hall Forum held at T.A. Dugger Junior High.
The event, sponsored by Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition, Physical Therapy Services, P.A., Elizabethton City Schools and East Tennessee State University’s Department of Physical Therapy allow the public to hear different tactics being used to combat the issue and ask questions. The event was held on “Knock Out Opiate Abuse Day,” which Elizabethton City Council recognized during last month’s meeting with a proclamation.
Seeing different representatives come together is important to address the issues with opioids, according to Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition Director Jilian Reece. With the turnout Tuesday, she added steps are being made in the right direction.
“There are 150 people here tonight to learn about this, and I couldn’t be more happy and proud of our community for coming together,” Reece said. “The whole goal of a coalition is to come together. I know I can’t fight this alone. Preachers can’t fight this alone. Law enforcement can’t fight this alone. To see all these different people from different organizations and walks of life come together is exciting and shows progress can be made.”
According to information provided by the Tennessee Department of Health, drug overdose deaths in the state rose from 1,263 in 2015 to 1,451 in 2015. Over the 1,451 reported, 12 deaths came from Carter County.
A handful of speakers addressed attendees, including Burks, director of faith-based initiatives with TDH.
“Addiction doesn’t care who you are,” Burks said. “We have to come together. This happens to every city, and we need to recognize it as an epidemic and combat it. We need a diversity of treatment.”
Faith-based initiative is an action taken by the state to align churches together to help community members find recovery and support groups, which Burks added was an asset for him – telling the public he recently celebrated 17 and a half years of sobriety.
Dr. Wes Gemmin, chief pharmacist with TDH, said the important part of combating the ‘pandemic’ of opioid abuse is not to let it become to ‘norm’ nationwide.
According to information provided by Gemmin, the county is on tap to see over 55,000 deaths coming as a result of opioid abuse.
“Once people get used to seeing this, it becomes normal,” he said. “We can’t let that happen. We can’t lose momentum.”
Hydrocodone products comprise 29 percent of controlled substances prescribed, according to Gemmin. The CDC indicated that people that abuse painkillers obtain drugs from a variety of sources. A graph provided showed that 55 percent of painkillers are actually obtained free due to a friend or relative while only 17.3 percent of painkillers abused come from prescriptions from doctors.
Education is the key, Gemmin added. The pharmacist indicated awareness about heroin and fentanyl and increased measures from the state and federal government are posed to help combat the issue.
Dr. Alan Meade, president of the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association, also took the floor to describe how a physical therapist’s role in the battle can help combat opioid abuse.
It is an issue that will take time, according to Dr. Danny Smith, with Physical Therapy Associates.
“It is going to take educate,” he said. “We appreciate everyone coming here today.”
At the conclusion of the event, an ice cream social was held in the cafeteria. Different resources that set up during the night include Adoration Life, ETSU Family Nurse Partnership and Gatton College of Pharmacy, the public library, Frontier Health, Grace Fellowship Church Recovery and Care Program, Red Legacy Recovery, Restoration & Wellness, Watauga Recovery Centers and Youth Villages.
Anybody either battling addiction or know someone who is battling can call the Tennessee REDLINE at 1-800-889-9789. To get involved locally, visit the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition Facebook page online.