By Erin Smith
U.S. Congressman David Rouzer hosted an Opioid Symposium for the 7th Congressional District on Monday night in Wilmington. The Symposium featured panel discussions regarding stigmas, treatment and rehabilitation and resources.
One message that was carried through the entire symposium is the need to remove the stigma that is associated with addiction. The causes of addiction are complicated and vary from person to person.
WECT’s Frances Weller served as moderator for the event. The first panel which discussed stigma featured Kenny House with the Coastal Horizons Center in Wilmington, and Mark Allen of the Port City Community Church in Wilmington.
House said of stigmas, “When I think of people, I think of hiding.”
He added that stigmas lead to decreased hope for individuals.
Allen, who battled addiction himself for 22 years, said he views stigmas as misconceptions.
“They keep people in a place of hopelessness,” said Allen.
Allen also noted that stigmas tend to cause people to accept labels such as “criminal” and “addict.”
Both Allen and House said in order to overcome stigmas; people need to talk about the issues openly and honestly. They both said the sooner a person can get the resources they need, the sooner that person can begin to recover.
The panel also introduced Mona, Yvette and Matt (no last names were given) who spoke about their battles with addiction and their path to recovery.
Yvette spoke of the fact that her husband died two months ago of an overdose, and how that impacted her life. Yvette explained she tried on several occasions to get her husband to go to Coastal Horizons with her for her treatment, but he would not go. She noted it was difficult to be in the house with him and maintain her sobriety. Yvette said she is proud that she did manage to stay sober, and her goal is to remain sober for her 4 year old son.
Mona battled addiction for 22 years, and said the stigma she encountered left her feeling ashamed and hopeless.
Matt shared that the stigma surrounding addiction became his identity. He also shared that he did not know what a healthy relationship looked like, because he came from a broken family and suffered from abuse.
All three panelists shared their stories of when they arrived at the point to become sober, and stay sober. Yvette’s wakeup call was when the Department of Social Services took custody of her 4 year old son. Yvette said she made the decision to get help and has remained sober for four and one-half years.
Mona said her decision came after a nine month relapse, during which she started using heroin.
“That relapse saved my life,” said Mona. And, Matt said his decision came after entering treatment at age 21. He said he experienced various relapses along the way, but hearing a speaker at his church solidified his determination.
House and Allen also spoke about the role someone can play if you suspect a family member or neighbor is having issues with addiction. Both said to be open and honest in the conversation, and to be prepared to go with the person to get help.
Allen added that the faith-based community can also help through having open conversations with members. He shared that when he first entered Christ Community Church, he was told “Church is for broken people.”
The next panelist was Anne Hazlett with USDA Rural Development. She spoke about how the Rural Development office can help rural communities to overcome the opioid crisis. She stated, often rural communities lack resources for treatment, lack broadband internet services, and they tend to be isolated.
Hazlett said Rural Development will partner with communities as they seek to design a solution that fits their particular community. She cited examples of various programs throughout the United States that have been successfully utilized.
Dr. Phil Brown gave some statistics that demonstrate the programs and efforts are working to stem the tide of the epidemic in New Hanover County. He said in 2016 when the Community Partners Coalition was formed, prescription drug take back events received more than 7,000 pounds of medicine, 50,000 sharps (needles) were turned in, and $90,000 worth of medicine was taken off the streets.
Dr. Brown also noted overdose rates have decreased by 37 percent, there has been a 67 percent reduction in Emergency Room visits, and a program called Tides has been established that treats pregnant women who are battling addiction.
The final panel featured Ben David, who is the District Attorney for New Hanover and Pender Counties, and his brother, Jon David, who is District Attorney for Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties.
The brothers spoke about enforcement issues. “We have to differentiate between users and dealers,” said Ben David.
He explained that users need to receive help and resources, while those who are selling the drugs need to be punished.
Jon David spoke about the fact that they need to differentiate between opioids and heroin. Jon David said heroin dealers can now receive up to a $1 million bond when they are arrested. He explained many heroin dealers also tend to have gang affiliations.
Ben David said that many heroin users started out abusing prescription medications. Both Jon and Ben David said there is a “war on drug dealers.”
Weller closed the symposium with a suggestion for a “Rouzer Run” to bring further awareness to the issue.
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