Opioid Task Force reviews measures to curb drug abuse: D.A.R.E. expansion, drug disposal and assistance finding recovery facilities

[February 12, 2018]  On Thursday, February 1st, the Logan County Opioid Task Force (OTF) meeting began with a review of the accomplishments of 2017. The OTF was formed a few years ago by the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) Task Force, a branch of the Healthy Communities Partnership. Today, the OTF is a product of the Community Health Collaborative, a branch of Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, under the leadership of Angela Stoltzenburg.

The primary objective of the OTF is to curb and hopefully someday eliminate opioid deaths utilizing a four-pillar approach to address the issue.

The four pillars are defined as prevention, harm reduction, enforcement and treatment.

Christy Fruge of the Lincoln Police Department talked about the work of the task force on three of these four pillars.

PREVENTION

A portion of prevention is to teach awareness starting with children. Locally this is being done a few different ways, including the local D.A.R.E. programs.

Fruge is the lead officer of the D.A.R.E program. D.A.R.E. now has a second officer, Corporal Shawn Petit is assisting in the training programs conducted at schools within the city of Lincoln.

Fruge said that the D.A.R.E. program is also actively used throughout the county and the trainer is Mark Landers of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.

In Lincoln, Fruge said that the program has been expanded from a focus on fifth grade students, to all students from kindergarten through fifth grade. She said that teaching the various age levels means preparing materials that are age appropriate.

Officer Fruge said the D.A.R.E. program is also evolving in what it teaches. While the program originally was all about the ‘just say no’ type philosophy of don’t drink and don’t do drugs, it has evolved and broader. Students are taught understanding between right and wrong, along with the avoidance of drinking, smoking, and drug abuse.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG DISPOSAL

The Lincoln Police Department in the last year acquired a grant to purchase and place a drug incinerator. Fruge explained that partnering with the Logan County Department of Public Health, the department will take all unused or expired drugs in pill form. She said the program does not accept syringes or medications in syringes, nor does it take liquid medications.

One contributor to prescription drug abuse is when old medications are left in the home when they are no longer needed. This makes them available to those who wish to abuse them. Disposing of the drugs is the responsible thing to do to keep family members safe from harm from both accidental in intentional ingestion.

Fruge explained how the program works. Twenty-four hours a day, unused prescriptions can be brought to the Lincoln Police Department. They may also be brought to the Logan County Department of Public Health during their normal hours of operation.

Fruge said that when someone brings in medications, they will be given a container to empty the pills into and will be asked to take their pill bottles back with them. The drugs are collected and will then be taken to the incinerator which is located off-site from the police station, where they are burned.

Fruge said that for those interested in disposing of liquid medications, the best advice is to mix the liquid with coffee grounds or kitty litter, then thoroughly mix in the garbage.

LPD SAFE PASSAGE PROGRAM

Fruge’ said that implementing the Safe Passages Program at the Lincoln Police Department was a very good move, though not everyone takes it seriously. A person who is addicted to drugs and wants to get help can come into the police station and ask for help from the safe passages program.

Fruge’ said many don’t believe that they can go to the “cops” and not be arrested, but it is true. While some think the program is a sting or a trap, the reality is the Lincoln Police Department recognizes that incarceration is not a cure for drug addiction.

Statistically speaking, incarceration can lead to drug overdose and death. The information presented at a previous meeting of the OTF revealed that those who spend time in jail go through withdrawal, but they don’t lose the desire to do their drug of choice. However, while they are incarcerated, the tolerance to their drug of choice lowers. The end result is that when they get out of jail, they obtain and take the same amount of narcotic as they were using when arrested, and the body can’t handle it, thus they go more quickly into overdose.

Fruge’ said the smarter plan over incarceration is to get people to a treatment facility of some type that can assist the addict with withdrawal and also offer therapy and rehab to get them off the drug.

Fruge said that the program which is only been up and running since October of last year has resulted in four addicts seeking and receiving treatment. Fruge’ also spoke about others that have been offered the opportunity to go into the safe passage program.

Fruge said that the department has safe passage ‘guides’ including herself and Vicki Bree, who are on-call 24 hours a day to come in and take care of a safe passages enrollee. The process begins with talking to the addict, and discussing what type of facility and treatment they are willing to try. She said there are a variety of places available to the LPD, and the guides will do everything possible to match the person to the appropriate facility.

There are also issues finding rooms at facilities, so sometimes there are multiple calls made before a place for recovery can be found. Once that place is found the guide will personally drive the person to the facility.

Fruge’ said she has high hopes for the program, and is also excited that there have been people interested in becoming guides. She noted specifically that Lincoln Christian University has contacted her and there are students who would like to volunteer to help.

She said the community can help by also volunteering to serve as a guide, and also, guides drive the addicts in their personal vehicles, so donations of gas cards for the drivers would be very helpful.

Fruge’ said the big challenge is in helping addicts to reach the point of seeking treatment. She said there is one big reason why addicts can’t and even shouldn’t try to stop on their own – it hurts.

She explained that when an addict is coming off of a drug, they are sick. She described it as the “worst flu you have ever had times 100.” She explained that when taken to a detoxification facility, staff on hand can assist the addict through proper medication, so that such terrible illness can be greatly reduced during the withdrawal period.

Fruge’ was asked if the safe passage program could be used from the hospital ER. Fruge’ said that the best procedure would be to re-direct the addict to the police department because it would be less complicated than taking them through the admission process then calling the safe passages.

Noting that the program is drawing people, though they may not all enroll, Fruge was asked is there a typical time of day when addicts came to the station for help. She said that right now, the information she has indicates most come between the hours of noon and 8 p.m., so that is when guides are needed most.

Fruge indicated that the program is really still in its infancy, but she sees this as very promising and is hopeful that more lives may be saved in this coming year because of the safe passages program.

NARCAN

Fruge also noted with gratitude the work of St. John’s United Church of Christ in raising funds to supply city police and fire first responders with for Narcan. She explained that the two-dose nasal packet the officers carry costs $75 and the money is not in the city budget to purchase those kits.

Tonita Reifsteck of St. John’s Church asked if that was going to change in the new city budget year. Fruge said that Narcan would be included in the budget requests for the 2018-19 fiscal year. However, she said the money donated to the program would still be needed. She said even if the city could fully fund the Narcan, there would still be financial needs for the safe passages program and other drug programs.

A guest also asked about the help hotlines that are advertised on television. The warning went out from Fruge as well as another task force member to be cautious of recommending those particular hotlines, because many of them are attached to a high priced private treatment facility.

Other hotline numbers she said are more like the suicide prevention numbers in that they offer counseling and conversation over the phone but don’t lead to a solution.

Fruge also shared information about resources that are available in the area.

To see the list that has been prepared by the OTF click here

[Nila Smith]