Source: Sun Sentinel
By: Kathleen Cannon, Heather Davidson
We all know the photo. The photo of the young boy sitting in the back of his grandparent's van. He stares blankly at the camera. In the front seats, his grandfather and grandmother sit slumped over. They are gaunt, their mouths agape, they are unconscious. They have overdosed. It is a gruesome photo which underscores the opiate epidemic in the United States.
It is a credit to the officers in East Liverpool, Ohio that they released this photo. Once upon a time, this would have barely made the news. Drugs such as flakka dominated the headlines due to their sensational nature and tendency for nudity while heroin, fentanyl and prescription pills kill people in droves, silently.
Last Thursday in Broward County, 10 people died of an overdose. In the first nine months of 2016, that brings our number of fentanyl related deaths to 130. All across South Florida there has been a 502 percent increase in fentanyl related deaths between 2012 and 2015.
Local medical examiners are saying the rate of overdoses in 2016 alone has doubled from last year. As our first responders, hospitals, treatment providers, law enforcement and families become more and more overwhelmed with the staggering death toll in our communities, more people are speaking up. More obituaries are telling the truth about how and why their loved ones died. More officers and parents are releasing photos of a user in the midst of an overdose.
Their aim is to raise awareness about the dangers of our drug supply today that is tainted with fentanyl and to humanize this problem.
We are asking for your help. This is a turning point in the field of substance use disorders. Professionals understand more today about how to provide effective treatment than ever before. However, treatment is not enough. We all need to contribute toward creating a healthy community that supports prevention and long-term recovery.
United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse's Community Response Team has assessed the situation and created a comprehensive Opiate Action Plan. The plan outlines how we as a community can promote strategies on the platform of drug prevention with education, restricting access to prescription opioids, getting naloxone in the hands of families and significant others, increasing access to syringe exchange programs, increasing access to medical assisted treatment, requests for more funding and policy recommendations.
The strength of the plan is in its diverse representation from different sectors of the community and federal agencies. One person or one agency is not enough to combat the opiate epidemic and reduce our rate of death and addiction. Only together can we make a difference.
The photo of the overdosed grandparents and neglected child has gone viral. It has shed a light on the true nature of the opiate epidemic. It has also shed a light on the level of our stigma and judgement towards addicts. Scores of people online have come out in response to this horrific photo.
However, a large number of the responses have been dismissive and apathetic towards addiction, calling those who are suffering insulting names, denying their humanity and the powerful nature of substance use disorders. What is lacking in the conversation is one fundamental element; compassion. Work with us. Speak up. Educate your children. Educate your neighbors.
This is a national epidemic and it won't stop until we all agree that enough is enough.
Visit drugfreebroward.org/communityresponseteam to view the Opiate Action Plan and find out how you can get involved.
Kathleen Cannon is President & CEO United Way of Broward County. Heather Davidson is interim director, Public Policy and Advocacy.