With all the focus on the coronavirus, another public health threat — drug overdoses — has been receiving less attention, but continues to be a problem with cases in Surry County on pace to hit 500 in 2020.
For the first six months of the year, as of June 30, 250 overdoses were logged in the county, along with 14 deaths, based on figures reported Monday by Surry Emergency Services Director John Shelton.
In comparison, 359 overdoses occurred in Surry during the entire year of 2019 and 372 in 2018, with Shelton emphasizing that if 2020 continues at its present rate this year’s total in the 500 range will eclipse those previous annual figures by well over 100.
And COVID-19 is even managing to get into the overdose discussion just as it has permeated nearly every other aspect of modern life. The local public safety official, who also is the county’s medical examiner, lists it as a contributing factor for the growing drug problem.
Narcan obscuring picture
One apparent bright spot in the drug scene is that fatalities aren’t experiencing the same explosion seen among overdose cases as a whole, but even this has a dark lining.
The figures show that while drug use continues to escalate, an increased reliance on Narcan is keeping many overdose victims from joining the death statistics.
“It’s so readily available today,” Shelton said of Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses respiratory depression and other effects of opioid overdoses.
As for what is causing the majority of fatalities in the county, Shelton said, “It’s mostly a mixture of meth, heroin and fentanyl, mixed together, most of them.” While heroin and fentanyl fall into the opioid category, methamphetamine is in the stimulant class of drugs.
The effects of Narcan use in recent years can’t be denied. After a record number of overdose deaths in Surry (55) in 2017, the numbers dropped to 32 in 2018 and 26 in 2019, which officials attribute to its presence.
That medication once was available on a limited basis, but has become much more widespread, with Shelton mentioning that anyone now getting a prescription filled for a narcotic is offered Narcan.
“This definitely decreased the number of deaths we’ve had.”
With 14 overdose fatalities reported for Surry County in the first six months of 2020, the year-end figure is on track to slightly exceed the 26 occurring in 2019.
Coronavirus influence
The local public safety official acknowledges that the recent — and necessary — concern over COVID-19 has taken the previously much-publicized opioid problem out of the limelight to a certain extent.
“But that problem is still there and it’s still extremely heavy,” Shelton said in reference to the increasing volume of opioid and other overdoses.
Some of the cases are believed to be a direct result of the coronavirus, he added.
With the pandemic putting many people out of work, Shelton cited the old saying of “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” in explaining how that down time has provided more opportunities for narcotics abuse.
Coupled with this is the government stimulus funds and other financial injections resulting from the outbreak.
“There has been money available to people to purchase these drugs,” Shelton said of such payments.
“A lot of them may have access to money they didn’t have (before) and that may increase their drug habit.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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