Duplin residents educated on opioid abuse, money to combat the problem

Starting in 2022, and continuing through 2038, Duplin County is on the receiving end of almost $4.5 million to be used to battle opioid abuse in the county.

An “Opioid Town Hall Meeting” was held Thursday night, July 27, at Snow Hill Free Will Baptist Church outside Mount Olive, to provide community members with information regarding the opioid epidemic and the money now available to combat it, and, more importantly, to give them a chance to convey their thoughts and suggestions. This was the second such meeting; the first was held at Sharon Baptist Church in Chinquapin on June 22.

Funds are being awarded to all 100 North Carolina counties, as well as numerous municipalities, coming from a federal lawsuit settlement against companies that were involved in the manufacture or distribution of opioids. Thus far, Duplin has received $303,419, with payments (in differing amounts) continuing every year through 2038. Information gathered at the Town Hall meetings will help officials determine how the money can best be used.

Jamie Murray, Opioid Response coordinator with the Duplin County Health Department, moderated the meeting and gave a Power Point presentation that included information showing that the county is receiving its larger annual payments early on, and that from years 2032 through 2038 the county will receive just $108,790 per year. “I’m searching high and low for any other grants we can apply for,” she said, so the county does not end up starting programs that it can’t sustain.

Approximately 40 people were present at the meeting and all remained respectful as they took turns asking questions, expressing concerns, and providing suggestions as to how they felt the funds should be used. A colleague took notes for Murray; in addition, County Commissioner Wayne Branch was in attendance and taking notes, as well — both promised to use what they learn at these meeting to help make decisions moving forward.

Some of the issues brought up and discussed were: the ease with which drugs can be obtained; questions regarding how law enforcement handles drug dealers; how to reach marginalized communities; and the need for schools to educate students about the danger of drugs at an earlier age. One young man spoke up and noted that it isn’t enough to tell kids to not do drugs; in a rural community where kids often complain that “there’s nothing to do,” they need to be educated on what there is to do so they’ll have something positive to occupy their time, rather than turning to drugs.

One topic that generated a lot of discussion was that of overdosing. Murray spoke about Narcan, the best-known brand of Naloxone, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. She noted that if someone is overdosing on opioids and Narcan is administered, it can save that person’s life, and if it’s not an opioid overdose, she says, the Narcan will do no harm.

Suggestions for productive use of the county’s opioid settlement money included creating an outreach center and establishing a detox facility. It was also noted that it’s important to staff these types of facilities with workers who will be trusted by the people using them. Murray mentioned the possibility of one day having a mobile unit to serve marginalized communities.

In addition to the discussion, everyone was given a list of 12 strategies that could be used to fight the opioid epidemic and all were asked to rank what they saw as the five most important. Murray collected these at the end of the meeting, and this information, too, will be used to inform how the county money gets used.

Anyone with questions or suggestions on this topic is invited to contact Murray at 910-296-2130 or Jamie.murray@duplincountync.com.

To contact Commissioner Wayne Branch, call 910-330-2727 or email wayne.branch@duplincountync.com.