According to the DEA, over 10,000 pounds of unused drugs were collected from 60 different locations throughout Kentucky on National Drug Take Back Day. Nationally, nearly 16 million pounds of drugs were collected by the DEA and partnering agencies. Read more here.
Prevention
CEO and Founder of ARC gives an update regarding addiction in Kentucky
During an episode of Issues & Answers: The Mountain Edition, Tim Robinson, CEO and Founder of Addiction and Recovery Care (ARC) shared the current state of addiction in Kentucky. Robinson explained that multiple factors impact treatment and prevention such as employment, advocating for treatment and recovery at an early age,[Read More…]
The pandemic has put a spotlight on long-lasting treatments for addiction, mental health illness
The pandemic caused many patients who were receiving treatment for mental health issues or addiction to miss appointments or stop taking important medicines. Now, health care providers and patients have turned to long-lasting treatments due in part to their stabilizing capabilities and success at preventing relapses. Read more here.
Officials ask Kentuckians to check cabinets for unused medicine as part of national initiative
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders teamed up for this year’s Drug Take Back Day. Last year, the initiative collected over 13,000 pounds of prescription medication, taking a necessary step in preventing opioid misuse. Read more here.
ARC President/CEO receives Beacon of Hope Award
Tim Robinson, president and CEO of Addiction Recovery Care (ARC), received the 2022 Congressman Hal Rogers Beacon of Hope Award at the Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit. Robinson founded ARC in 2010 to serve and support those impacted by addiction, allowing his personal recovery journey to impact the lives[Read More…]
Life-saving medication for opioid overdoses strategically placed at the Hope Center
The Hope Center, a non-profit and social services organization in Lexington, has taken a preventative action against opioid overdose deaths by installing opioid emergency kits that contain the opioid reversal drug “Narcan.” Since timing is everything, the accessibility of these kits could mean the difference between life and death. Read[Read More…]
How a Kentucky coalition is working to reduce fentanyl overdoses
In 2020, fentanyl contributed to about 71% of all overdose deaths in Kentucky – affecting more than 1,400 families. The Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, based in Louisville, Ky., hopes to decrease the number of overdose deaths by mailing fentanyl test trips and naloxone, the overdose-reversing drug. If someone notices fentanyl[Read More…]
State leaders making efforts to help Kentucky fight opioid crisis
A bipartisan group of state leaders is working to incorporate Pew Research Center’s recommendations on how best to address the opioid crisis. Through these efforts, lawmakers are expanding access to addiction treatment and helping more Kentuckians live healthy and meaningful lives. Read more here.
Users doubling up on fentanyl, methamphetamine despite Ky. treatment options, free Narcan
Gov. Beshear recently announced that a federal grant is providing free Narcan to reduce opioid overdose deaths in eight counties. Even with the increase in availability of Narcan, those struggling with substance use are finding and using fentanyl and methamphetamine on the same day. Read more here.
‘It’s a no-brainer’: Rising adolescent overdoses prompt calls for school to stock naloxone
The rise in drug overdoses among teens has caused school nurses to request naloxone, a drug that counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose, for their campus medical supplies. Schools stock emergency equipment from fire extinguishers to defibrillators and now they’re seeing a need to supply naloxone, as well. Read[Read More…]