Drug treatment is paying off
A confluence of public education, an increase in funding and the availability of treatment have helped the opioid overdose rate fall sharply in Butler County through the first half of 2018.
Still, health care and addiction recovery officials aren't finding much cause for celebration in that decline.
According to Ruthane Durso, supervisor of behavioral health services for drug and alcohol for Butler Health System, there are a number of factors that play into the decline. She said numerous agencies, including human services, law enforcement and schools, have come together to form a countywide coalition to address the opioid epidemic.
Through that coalition, education has increased, with officials working to help the community understand addiction as a disease and why treatment and intervention are needed. Durso said community forums and other avenues are used to get the message out and fight the stigma of addiction.
This also includes education on how to identify someone who may be battling addiction or may be actively overdosing, as well as what a person can do in that situation.
“We want them to have an opportunity to reverse course and get help,” she said. “It allows some of that stigma to come down ... and we can say there is help, there is hope, let's not just write it off.”
Additionally, education is targeted at those who use or are around users. Durso said in the past, fear of punishment would lead to overdoses going unreported.
“Ten years ago, if you were with someone and they (overdosed), you ran and you let them die,” she said.
Also playing a part is the use of the opioid-reversal drug naloxone. Durso said while naloxone has helped greatly, its use is actually declining now, which seems to indicate people are being smarter and safer when they choose to use.
Read more about local efforts to fight the overdose problem with drug treatment.
