Prepared by:  Dana Joy

Burkemont Precinct Chair

Burke County, NC

The Opioid Epidemic Reality

Article #4  •  March 9, 2018

On June 29, 2017, Governor Roy Cooper, joined by a bipartisan group of state officials and legislators, signed into law the “STOP ACT” (Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention Act). “Opioid addiction and overdose have ravaged the physical and mental health of thousands of North Carolinians, hurting our people and our economy, and we’re taking action to fight it,” Governor Cooper said. “With this legislation and the new State Opioid Action Plan, we’re taking important first steps to stem the opioid epidemic”.

Governor Cooper believes the STOP ACT will help curb epidemic levels of opioid drug addiction and overdose in North Carolina through several key provisions, including:

•  Strengthening oversight and tightening supervision on opioid prescriptions

•  Requiring prescribers and pharmacies to check the prescription database before prescribing opioids to patients

•  Instituting a five-day limit on initial prescriptions for acute pain, with exemptions for chronic pain, cancer care, palliative care, hospice care,

   or medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders

•  Saving lives through increased access to naloxone which can reverse opioid overdose

•  Allowing local governments to support needle exchange programs

The statistics laid out by Governor Cooper are alarming! By 2020, deaths from opioids are expected to have killed more people that anything else…even wars! Over the next decade it has been predicted that opioid deaths will have killed over 500,000 people across the US!  

If we were to follow our narcotics units to the streets, right here in Burke County, I’m sure we would have an eye-opening experience of the complex and difficult challenges they face in the fight against opioids which has undoubtedly spiraled out of control. Burke county public safety officials as well as Hickory P.D., are currently working with our district attorney, David Learner to implement the “LEAD PROGRAM” (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion). Attorney Learner explained that once the user is brought in off the streets, the Lead Program would connect them with crisis intervention people, counselors, the DEA as well as the DA’s office to help the ones that want to be helped but it’s up to them. At law enforcement's discretion, after one or two tries, if they mess up again, then it’s back to jail. The LEAD Program would be made available for non-violent, low level felony possession offenders and would have available to them a program coordinator who would be on call 24/7 for the duration of the offenders’ time on the program. If the user is successful and cooperative in the program, then their criminal charges could quite possible be dropped. However, if they reject the program, or are non-compliant while participating in the program, then they go through the charges, court, jail time and so on. “We’re hopeful that we can get some of these folks the drug treatment that they need”, attorney Learner said. “A huge percentage of our property crimes and violent crimes are directly linked to the drug problem, but we are making some progress. I don’t feel any sense of being defeated by this, I just feel we have to be consistent and perhaps receive more tools from the legislature, so we can work on this issue”.

“TROSA, out of Durham, NC, is a long term residential treatment program that seems to be working very well”.  According to attorney Learner, TROSA provides the recovering addict with not only basic necessities, but also pier support, mentoring, counseling, help with educational training in relation to trade skills, and so on. He did clarify that the person must want the help. A major concern is that if the recovering addict returns to their old environment then they will ultimately end up in their old behaviors as well. Success stories may be limited but nevertheless there are some who go on to living productive lives drug free.

Teens are especially at an increased risk today from the temptations of using. A certified substance abuse counselor who is currently working in the Burke County prison system, voiced her agreement that “something needs to be done in our schools, but we will need funding”. She went on to say that we are in a “huge epidemic” and that in her line of work she sees it “everyday”. She would like to see some type of treatment program in the jail. As of now there are some recovery groups, but she feels more needs to be put in place. She is calling for communities to come together and decide collectively that this is where our funding needs to be, in stronger treatment programs and that if the inmate is a willing participant, there will be positive results with “seeds being planted and there will be a ripple effect”. She testifies that approximately 30% become clean after the recovery programs now put in place, but unfortunately, 70% usually end up back in prison, and some will die.  

In my opinion, I am in total agreement with our District 86 House Representative, Hugh Blackwell, as well as our District Attorney, David Learner. They have both remained extremely passionate to see our counties clean from drugs. They strongly agree that a huge contributor of the drug problems and crimes that we see today is a direct correlation to the breakdown of the family unit and a lack of spiritual values in the home. In far too many cases, the lack of healthy leadership in the family is many times due to emotionally crippled parents, and the children who rely on them. It would be awesome to incorporate some type of program which would emphasize the importance of a faith-based recovery, as well. After all, I strongly believe that the drug addict is looking relentlessly for “something or someone” to fill the void inside of them. When all else fails, drugs, alcohol, porn, etc., then God “may” come into the picture. Wouldn’t it be an amazing thing to reverse the process? Why not help them consider God “first”, because after God, there may not be a need for anything else.

References: “Nothing Compares: North Carolina” website -article: by Ford Porter

Dana Joy can be reached at: dana@burkecountyvoice.com • www.burkecountyvoice.com