Both substance-use events and related overdose deaths increased in Surry County during 2021, according to year-end statistics released by local emergency services officials — and the coronavirus pandemic is being blamed.
Fatalities rose from 30 in 2020 to 44 last year, the highest count recorded for Surry since 2017, when a staggering 55 overdose deaths occurred before Narcan became widely used as an overdose antidote.
Total substance-use events also jumped to 529 during 2021 — up from 503 the year before, statistics show. The 2021 annual total was the highest during the five-year period from 2017-21.
The biggest spike in such activity occurred from 2019-21, according to Eric Southern, Surry County’s director of emergency services, a period spanning the advent of COVID-19 and its laundry list of continuing problems.
“County deaths also increased during this time,” Southern mentioned.
He indicated that the signs point to COVID-related restrictions as a causative factor for the upswing.
“The coronavirus pandemic certainly impacted local and national numbers, including overdoses and deaths related to substance use,” Surry County Substance Abuse Recovery Director Mark Willis agreed, citing an array of related issues.
“Statistics in these categories increased, most likely due to increased isolation, which can affect mental health issues, especially with individuals who already have difficulties with mental health,” Willis added.
“Other factors that may have contributed to the increase in these numbers include higher unemployment, lower income, transportation issues and different illegal drugs that were introduced by suppliers.”
Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Watson, who also closely monitors the local overdose situation, said another another aggravating factor involves restricted access to resources such as counseling and other care during the pandemic.
“So without those resources, they’re more likely to go back using again,” Watson said of those who might have been successfully dealing with their addictions pre-COVID.
Narcan remains a key
Southern also referred to another notable finding in figures from last year, involving the continuing high reliance on Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, a medication that blocks respiratory depression and other effects of opioids, especially in overdoses. It can be administered by laymen, meaning professional medical aid might not be sought when one occurs.
The emergency services director says known cases of Narcan administered by family members/bystanders totaled 72 during 2021, compared to only 17 doses the year before and 14 in 2019.
A total of 261 Narcan doses are being reported for the county during 2021, reflecting gradual rises in each year of a five-year period starting with 131 in 2017. Those include ones administered by Surry EMS paramedics, law enforcement or other public safety personnel in addition to lay persons.
The use of Narcan has been seen as obscuring the actual number of overdoses cases in Surry, because if a relative, for example, successfully revives an overdose victim using that medication, the incident might not be reported and thus stay off the books.
Substance-use events reflected in the official statistics released include those in which local emergency services personnel had an involvement, as compiled by Compliance Officer Eddie Jordan.
“This just shows the data we see,” Southern explained.
Alcohol “leads” way
“The biggest substances that we are seeing are alcohol and heroin,” Southern observed, with “opioids and meth still being used a lot.”
Willis, the county substance abuse recovery director, says the “menu” has included some recent additions.
“The introduction of the new illegal drugs to the already vulnerable population of people suffering with substance-use disorder, during a time of increased isolation, is obviously never good,” he said. “Unfortunately, as soon as we have studied and understood the effects of an illegal drug, a new one always seems to emerge.”
Despite last year’s increases, Southern suggests there is reason for hope, including strides made by a county drug task force program.
Willis said one promising development is the previously reported addition of a transportation network to address lack of mobility. “And our intervention team and peer-support specialists are doing a great job with helping patients get the help they need.”
Police Chief Watson is hoping a return to normalcy from COVID will make a further difference in this regard. “We’re hoping with less restrictions there will be more availability of resources.”
“The vicious cycle of illegal drug use that has affected Surry County, and many other counties, will continue to be a problem until we implement an effective recovery-oriented system of care for substance-use disorder that focuses on all aspects of prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery,” said Willis.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com