September 17, 2024 • 32 mins
On this episode of Keeping Ashland Healthy, Dr. Ashley and the Boss speak with Health Commissioner Vickie Taylor and ACCADA Director Rick Ford about Overdose Awareness in Ashland County. Additional information about securing NARCAN, a NaloxBox, or general questions can be found by calling Vickie at 419-282-4231 or Rick at 419-289-7675.
(Record Date: September 9, 2024)
(Record Date: September 9, 2024)
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome. You're listening to the Keeping Ashland Healthy Podcast, a
podcast production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of
Ashland County, Ohio. Thanks for joining us, and welcome back
to another episode of the Doctor Ashley and the Boss
podcast here on Keeping Ashland Healthy, a production of the
Mental Health and Recovery Board.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome, Thanks, How are you this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Boss?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Well, yeah, I'm nervous. We've got a couple guests and
so intimidating, very intimidating people in the room with us
today for overdose awareness. We're doing some awareness raising of
this important issue, and we brought in heavy hitters.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yes, we did. I'm really excited about this one.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I am too well in the room. Mister ford Welcome,
nice to see you here. He is the director. Can
he say welcome? I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
You're forcing me, yes, yes, yes, welcome. I'm Rick Fordham,
the director of ACADO.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yes, the CAADA director. And again we'll mention these numbers
as we go out, and I'll put them in the
episode description. But Kaita is four one, nine, two eight
nine seven sixty seven five. But again I'll mention that
again later. Mister ford the director is also a licensed
independent social worker years of experience in a substance use field,
so his insights and I think expertise in this topic
(01:21):
will become a parent as we go through the episode.
Also joining us is our health commissioner in Ashon County,
Vicky Taylor. Welcome, Vicky, thank you for having me today. Well,
I appreciate you being much more easy to work with him,
mister Ford. So Vicky is over at well your new location.
I still consider it a new location on Claremont there
(01:44):
and their numbers four one nine two eight two four
two three one again information again later in the episode
and in the episode description. But Vicky is our our
health commissioner and Rick have got a real, I think
important and unique you of overdose awareness, and we're interested
in talking that through in its aspects because again it's
(02:06):
a serious issue that Ashton County is trying to do
multiple approaches, doctor Ashley to see if we can't bring
these deaths down to zero, which is always our goal.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, we're losing too many people to overdose. Absolutely, So
this is an important topic today and.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
That kind of feeds into my first question for anybody
really is you know why, particularly in Ohio but this
is an effort that's going on throughout the country. Why
Overdose Awareness Day? And then as we're doing here in
the county, this is an all year kind of focus,
but we're using the day, if you will, as a
springboard to talk about this issue. But why is it
(02:43):
so important?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Well?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
The first the first thing, opioids killed more than one
hundred and thirty six Americans every single day. Think about that.
That's a lot of people every day we're losing. Right
In twenty twenty two, nine and fifteen laves were lost
from unintentional.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Drug overdoses and I was in Ohio, in Ohio.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Of those involved opioids.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Yeah, so again for for our listeners, we've talked about
fetanyl and fentanyl is one of those opioids that is
typically involved. Is that right, mister Ford? From your experience
both in terms of the treatment as well as prevention
and some of these stats, it seems like so many
of the opioids that we talked about, fentanyl is the
one that seems to be the one that's causing so
(03:28):
many of these overdose deaths.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
Yeah, that's absolutely correcting, you know, and fentyl being it's
an illicit synthetic opiate.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
So you know, even the.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Majority of those overdose related deaths in Ohio and across
the country, most of those involved fentanyl specifically as the
type of opioid that was you know, it's very pervasive,
it's potent, and it's profitable, you know, and that's why
it's in the drugs and illicit drugs. Obviously in the
(03:59):
hospitals that ain't quite different. You know, sure it all
is used for medical purposes and it's safe, but not
for illicit drugs.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And it's in every type of.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
Drug nowadays, not just you know, the standard opiate or heroin,
street heroin. We don't unfortunately, hear much about heroin anymore
in the past few years, and that's because of the
synthetic fetanyl really being so pervasive in all types of drugs,
especially stimulant drugs that's fetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It's for pervasive. So for the first of that's really
a drug.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
User, it's almost the norm or the expectation that fetanyl.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Is going to be a part of Interesting well, doctor,
actually Vicky mentioned some of the national statistics and then
some of the Ohio statistics. Can you tell us a
little bit about again why we're focused on in Ashley County.
Do we see some of these numbers reflected in Ashon
County data?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
We sure do.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
And the sad part is that as we talk about
fentanyl and it being mixed in with other substances, no
one ever knows how much they're getting, and that does
it just scary and how deadly it is. Fetanohl was
the leading drug use in our overdose deaths in the
last few years. But I also wanted to kind of
(05:18):
raise the fact that demographically drug overdose is affecting every
demographic in our community. So it's not like you can
pinpoint one certain age group or one certain race or population.
It is pervasive everywhere. And that's just the impact of
(05:39):
the deaths of the people using the overdose. Doesn't even
talk about the impact that it has on the families
and those that are left behind. So it's a serious
issue and it's one that's concerning, and it's it's concerning
enough that in the last few years, the Ohio Department
of Health has encouraged all counties within the state to
(06:01):
start doing an overdose fatality review, yes, so that we
can get to understand what is happening in our communities
and to provide the data and work together as a
community to kind of come up with ideas on how
we can curb this from happening in our community.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that, mister Ford, doctor Ashley,
and myself. We're all with you as well as other
key partners at that last meeting and appreciate your leadership
in that. But if I recall when we were actually
trying to figure out the actual number of overdose deaths,
and I guess that would have been calendar year twenty three,
(06:40):
I think that might have been amongst our highest numbers
that we experience. So this issue is front and center.
I think in Ashen.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
County, Yes, and twenty twenty two we had maybe two
more overdose deaths than twenty twenty three, but the trend
is clearly going up where we were when we first
started looking into this. So it is concerning. The average
age group is in the mid thirties, so if that's
(07:10):
the average age group, you can see what's going what's
happening there. But we also had some juvenile overdoses and
that was really concerning as well.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah, that gets it. I think what you know mister
Ford was saying about, you know, it being in so
many other substances. Whether you think you might be taking
I don't know, you name it.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Something like what they refer to as like a study
drug or a stimulant, so something in like the adderall.
Oftentimes it's in a benzodiazepine. So it's the anax klonopin
those those classifications of medications that you think you're getting
one thing.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
But you're not right. So one of the things we
talk about, I know your prevention specialists try to make
this point with the young people is you know, if
the medications not prescribed to you, don't take it, because
if you're you're taking it from somebody else, even if
they are a quote unquote friend of yours. If you
don't know where it's coming from. It might even say
(08:07):
to your example, Rick, it might even say adderall or
something else. On the pill itself, it might be stamped correctly,
but they're making these counterfeit pills look very close to
the original. So again, safety for us, if the drug
or the medication is not prescribed, you don't take it,
even if it's somebody you know.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Really well, Yeah, something I've heard you say before experimentation
is not the same today as it used to be.
The risk is much much higher because of the ventanyl
and the just the potency of that drug.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Agreed. Again, we're speaking with Vicky Taylor, Ashton County's Health Commissioner,
as well as Director Rick Ford of a KATA. So
we've talked a little bit about the whys and why
why the attention, and it's the numbers. We're losing far
too many people Ashton County, in the state, in the country.
So one of the things we wanted to highlight for
(08:59):
our listeners is, you know what we're doing locally to
address this issue, because Vicky, you mentioned the Overdose Fatality
Review Committee. Now that's not something a lot of people
would see in this community. It's an important thing that
we all are doing, and I think some action steps
can come out of it, but there might be some
more tangible or easily identifiable things that both of your
(09:21):
organizations are doing, so I wanted to talk through those
if we could. So one of the issues, one of
the primary overdose reversal medications is narcan, So either one
of you can we talk a little bit about what
narcan is, how it works, and where folks can get that.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Well, you know, Narcan is really the first, you know,
there's quite a few, there's a few others out there
now as well. You know, Narcan being you know, is
the drug or medication to utilize in a crisis if
we suspect that someone is an overdose.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
It's an overdose reversal drug.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
So basically, you know, not to get too scientific, but
it balances some of the opiates off our opiate receptors
in our brain and then essentially hopefully brings someone back
in their central nervous system and the breathing back.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
That's the simplest way I can explain.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
I'm not a science or a doctor, so I won't
try to pretend to be one. But at the same token,
it's probably the most successible and the easiest harm reduction,
life saving intervention that anybody in our community, our state,
our country can do. Narcian is available, you know, not
(10:38):
only at a CATA, but obviously through the health department,
and we provide, you know, we're available to provide narcian education,
what it is, how to use it, and really what
to do in an overdose situation on a daily basis.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Any any issues Vicky that folks need to be concerned
with in terms of you know, I've heard this before.
You know what if I give them nar Canon and
it wasn't an opioid that they're overdosing on it, you know,
how concerned do we need to be that. You know,
I give them the nar can and it wasn't an
opioid where that hurt them in some way.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So my understanding is will not hurt them, So it's
better to try the Narcan and because chances are it's
going to be opioid related, but if it's not, it
won't do any harm. And so we're trying to encourage
everybody to carry nark can. It's free, it's easy to use,
(11:35):
and we can give you a two minute demo on
how to use it.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
And I think both your organizations would do that if
folks want to demo, you know before they distribute that,
and it can be that quick because it's really a nasal. Yes, yes,
neither one of you guys are distributing any of the injections.
I know that's another route, but I think with needles
people get very very nervous, so we wanted to take
that out of the equation. So the you know, the
nasal distribute. It's like a one plunge and it's one
(12:02):
and done. Yep and uh. And that's it's as simple
as that to you. So we're hoping that takes away
some of the maybe the barriers that people have in mind.
Speaker 5 (12:10):
You know, and you know, if they do walk into
a CATO, the only thing where you really need to
knows their zip code. We don't need name any personal
identifying information other than really a zip code. In fact,
even we had a call or an email over the weekend,
I responded to and the gentleman came in this morning
and met with our peer recovery support person to get
that in NARCAN.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
A few kits and.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Then also the education that goes with it, and they
were just providing general education around recovery and what that
may look like. He was coming in for his significant
another who's going to be coming home soon, so he wanted.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
To make sure just in case there was a potential
for relapse that he was educated and armed.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
With the drug overdose reversal drugs.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So yeah, that's great, And again I'm going to take
occasion since Rick brought this up. You know, when the
recovery journey for a lot of folks that are struggling,
whether it's opioids are any substance, but particularly with opioids,
what we've seen is a real risk if the person
maybe has been in recovery for a period of time,
(13:18):
hasn't been using for a period of time, but then
has a slipper or relapse. Oftentimes they'll go back to
using in a way, in a manner, at a level
that they're used to, but their bodies have changed in
the interviewing a period of time, so they are really
high risk. I mean, it's always a high risk, but
if you've been clean and sober for a period of
(13:40):
time and in a period of you know, abstinence, and
then you go back to using, that person's really at
high risk. You know that fair to say director forward that,
you know, so having the narcan on available in those
situations seems to be very wise. But I just want
our listeners to know that. So if you're supporting the
loved one that maybe doing well, they've got a period
(14:01):
of sobriety and abstinence on their belt, but you know
they're back. Maybe they were in more of a controlled setting,
whether that's a rehabilitation or residential and sometimes even in
a jail once they're out, there's a really there's a
high risk there. So you want to be involved with
your loved one's life and have nar CAN available.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Right, absolutely, they could. You know you set up perfectly.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well, thank you because doctor Ashley never you know, comments
that way, so I appreciate you. Mister.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, you said perfect.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
That's exactly right in terms of the risk.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
And you know, I think that's exactly why one of
the interventions that we help with the.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
County is being available in our jail programming.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
And folks getting released and then we have the m
AT which would you know, medications, SISTE treatment, but also
just the awareness of having NARCND and that they are
going to be released and that they're at high risk
if they were to go reuse just because of what
you had said earlier.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
So you're already doing that education with the individual as
well as maybe those people there they're going to be around.
That's great, that's great. Another thing we're doing locally is
these wonder I've got one in my vehicle actually right
now is on an a lox box. I've been taking
these around. I know rick Etikaida has been distributing these
to organizations and businesses that that want one, and I
(15:24):
know we could still do that if you contact mister Ford.
But uh, what is an a LOX box? That sounds interesting?
Speaker 5 (15:32):
Uh, Well, essentially they are an emergency kit whore. But
it also will have like facial coverings and there the
knocks on itself or the narcan is you know, equipped
in there, so a few kits of those and then
just remembering.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
To replenish them if they are utilized too.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
So it's just not a box holding the narci in itself.
But it also gives instructions on how to administer the narcan,
you know, what to do in crisis.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
So it lays it all out.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
There's information sheets that anybody could pull off and use
to give real good directions about signs of overdose, how to.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Administer the nar can, what to do.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
You know in that whole crisis situation, and hopefully there
is enough narcan that it helps bring someone back.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So, Vicky, you had mentioned this, but you know the
idea is to have these boxes in publicly available, public
accessible locations so that anybody could possibly intervene. And again
no cost to get a box, no costs for the
narcan in either one of your organizations as well, so
(16:49):
I want to make sure that's you know, so price
is not an issue. As you heard Vicky and Rick say,
they can do the training as little as a couple
of minutes on how to use the narcan. But the
locks box is really just intended as said to be
just a container, and like I said, it's a pretty
heavy duty container that can be placed on a wall.
Have the information, as mister Ford said, available, and we're
(17:09):
trying to increase how many of these boxes are throughout
Ashland County because again you said it when you're talking
about the demos, Becky, it doesn't discriminate. So our thinking
is they need to be all over town because we'd
never know when somebody might experience an overdose and that
box might save that life.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Right, And we talk about these overdoses as being unintentional,
because they are, but there's also people that weren't even
wanting to use drugs and had exposure to it, okay,
and we also need to be able to have narcan
available for that. And we found that happened at the
Sheriff's department, but that could happen in a school setting or.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Anything unintentional exposure.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Right, unintentional exposure either through someone else having it available
in a home or something. So I think we want
to get rid of that stigma that uh we're only
putting it out there for you know, drug users, which
we are, because we want them to be able to
recuperate and recover and have access to care. But it's
(18:12):
also you know, children could get into it somehow and
you would need to be able to act quickly and
get the narcan available to them. I would love to
see it in school systems and every business and all
of our public places.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
So now, Vicky, I know, mister Fordner and Kaita there
distributor at the boxes, do you also have those available
for we have some that.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
We can get also through grant funding, okay available so again,
and also we also put it in our so we
have a ED boxes all over right. We even put
doses of narcan in our a ED boxes. So even
if you don't want to hold the locks on box,
but you have a D A D boxes in your facilities,
(18:58):
we could give you doses of narcan put just right
in that box, so it's right where it's available.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Okay, Well that's important, uh, information, and again I'll have
those numbers available, uh, for both Vicky and mister Ford
in the episode description. So if you're interested either in
the narcan or in the locks box, you can you
can contact them on that because that's an important ongoing
effort and that's a part of education and prevention, which
(19:24):
I wanted to talk about just briefly because we had
some of the prevention specialists from CADA on a few
episodes ago. But I just wanted our listening audience to
know that this is part of the curriculum that they
added a few years ago. You know, the prevention specialist
in Nashal County and our school system, they've been talking
about some of the harms of other types of substances
(19:45):
for some years, whether that was marijuana or cigarettes or alcohol.
But they've added, you know, some sections on opioids because of,
you know, the crisis that we're in. So I just
wanted to We don't have to spend a lot of
times I would encourage folks to listen to that episode,
but that is going on in our school systems as
well as in our adult realms, which is what we're
talking about now. We're also doing education and prevention for
(20:08):
our adults, and that includes things like our drug drop boxes.
And we've got two of these. They look like almost
like if you're mailing, going to the mailbox, the old
school mailbox, mister Ford, you know the old blue ones,
the standalone, Well they look like that. One is at
the Ashton County Sheriff in the annex and the other
ones down in Loudonville and the Police Department's lobby. But basically,
(20:30):
whenever those lobbies are open, folks can get rid of
those excess medications that might be lying around because again
we talk about risks and prevention, the more of these
extra or unused medications we can get disposed of properly
and out of the hands of who knows who the better. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
I just had a talk last week with a group
of people down Loudonville and I think a lot of
people don't know those exist. So I'm glad you brought
that up up. Yeah, and it's easy to do. You
can go and just drop it off.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
It's not like no questions I ask.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
You're right, yeah, And I think that's a great thing
we have here in Ashley County.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
So another thing, you know, speaking and again that's why
we do these episodes, and it's why we do all
of our community education is because it's doctor Asher said,
a lot of folks just don't know. They don't know,
so we keep doing these things. And I know for
the people that do know, they said, oh, David, not
the boxes again, Well that message isn't for you. It's
for the people that never heard about our boxes. But
(21:30):
there's another thing that you know, Rick, I know a
lot of people don't know about our Quick Response Team,
but this is another way that we're trying to make
an impact for individuals that maybe have just recently overdosed.
So if we could, just if you don't mind, take
a few minutes to talk about what is the Quick
Response Team in Ashley County. What's that all about?
Speaker 5 (21:50):
It really is about the use deflection of the use
of any kind of drug, but more importantly, to help
deflect and prevent future overdoses. So, you know, along with
our peer recover support person at a CAADA, Laurie McLaughlin,
two to four metric detectives, either through Ashland City Police
(22:12):
and or the Ashland County Sheriff's Department, they go out
on post overdose visits.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
So after somebody has overdose like that, okay.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
And so if it obviously if it was called innumergency
services and they have that information, they will do an
outreach to the individual or individuals just depending on the situation,
and try to also have contact with their if they
have any support people or family that may have been
(22:42):
involved or just was at their residence. We want to
talk to everybody in the household. So it's really a
non punitive type of visit, you know. And so you know,
the officers are in plain clothes, they drive in an
onmarked car.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
So it's really to foster a relationship.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Between the community and the legal sector at the same token.
But more most importantly they that you know, during the
visits they're doing narcian education, we're doing distribution in terms
of given an arcanaw and really talking about all the
resources that are available in Ashland, throughout the county and
(23:24):
the community that are available to any individual or family
effective by substitutes orient you know, if they have mental
health concerns or if they have food dispairy, any of
those type of things. We're looking at their basic needs
all the way through potential treatment needs or recovery needs.
So it's really informal yet formal type of visit. It's
(23:46):
voluntary and you know, most often for the people that
they do reach their one hundred percent cooperative and gauge.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I think I want to get involved.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
I know last year, I think they had over forty contacts. Yeah,
and that may have been with the same individual on
more than one occasion regarding their own single overdose. But
they can do follow up, so it isn't just one
one time visit necessarily. It really depends on the individual
what they want, what will follow up with them as
long as it needs to be yep. And this year
(24:21):
we've done about seventeen.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Visits, okay so far. Yeah, So I guess I want
the audience to know that, you know, that's the way
Ashton kind of cares about our folks that are struggling
with this issue. So if you have overdosed on opioid
and you're taking to one of our eers, well you know,
you should expect that whether it's you yourself or a
(24:43):
loved one, that the Quick Response team is going to
be coming out within a few days to talk about
that experience because we see that experience as a potential
turning point in your recovery. So, as mister Ford says,
with LORII the peer as well as our law enforcement folks,
they're going to try to engage that per and it's like,
you know, you know this just happened. This this, this
(25:03):
near death experience just happened a few days ago. You know,
let us get involved and help you avoid that in
the future. You know, let's let's do what we can
to reduce any barriers that you may answer, any questions,
et cetera. So I just want the audience to know
that that's the way this this community cares about our
folks that are struggling. We often say that the recovery
(25:25):
journey is you know, it's a spiral. It's just not
a linear line that goes up. We know folks go
through these various times. So uh just know that, as
Rick said, well, well, the quick response team will respond
to the same individual multiple times because we understand that.
And that's another thing Rick, You've brought to my attention.
Some folks feel like if they've been receiving treatment at
(25:47):
a CADA or other agencies, you know, and they're doing well,
but then they have a relapse, well I can't go
back there. People will talk about me, or they'll think
something Nope, Nope, they're not because they understand that they're
recovery journey is not linear. In fact, I think some
of the best therapists Rick, they talk about that at intake,
so you know, if in fact the person does have
(26:08):
a slip or a relapse, they don't feel ashamed to
go back and get help from that agency. Rick has
a tagline for his substance use minutes. Can you recall
that what that tagline is, mister Ford.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Let's support, not just let's support, not judge.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah. Rick introduced that some years ago. Now it seems
like and I really appreciate that. I've tried to tell
them that, and I support that. It's not about the judgment.
It's about getting the person to help and the resources
they need. So good job on that, mister Ford.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
We have examples that our office every day about people
returning not necessarily because they had a slip, just because
they wanted to not Yeah. Interesting, and they kind of
know themselves and they've worked treatment and been a part
of recovery and recognizing maybe some personal signs or indicators
that I need to go talk to someone, you know,
(26:56):
either be indicator or somewhere else, but I need to
talk and this.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Through to prevent it. So they're all, you know, getting
to a point of doing their own prevention.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
And I know, I just got a call last Friday
with the former he was actively engaged in treatment, called
and said, hey, I did slip and I need to
come back again.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
That's fine, I'm on it. We'll see them tomorrow morning.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Well, doctor Ashley, we are meeting with Icky Taylor, our
health commissioner. They're numbers four one nine two eight two
four to two three one, as well as Rick Ford,
the director at a CADA four two eight nine, seven,
six seven five. And this next part of the conversation again, uh,
we we just want folks to kind of understand what
(27:39):
someone might look like sound like that's overdosing. So Vicky
or whoever wants to take this, Uh, this is more
of the crisis situation. So if if you maybe come
across somebody that experiences the things we're going to talk about,
they may be experiencing an overdose. Some of these symptoms
or signs are pretty tell tale. So we don't want
(28:00):
folks to be alarmed. And as Rick said, a lot
of this is in the actual thelox box if those
are available, But if you could, maybe, Vicky, if you
could take this just talk. You know what would folks
maybe see here if they come across somebody that has
is in the in the process of overdosing on an opioid.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Sure, well, they would have symptoms of a limp body,
slow to stop breathing. They might be vomiting or making
gurgling noises. They may look pale and feel clammy okay,
and their lips may turn purple or blue color. You're
unable to wake them, unable to speak to them, or
(28:40):
they're unable to speak to you, So uh, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
What do we do? Yeah, so I come across that scene,
that's a little.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Scary, absolutely, and you know those are similar symptoms to
something else too, So you may not know for sure,
but my first response would be to give the narcan,
like we said.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Or if that's available, yes, give.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
It because because it's not going to hurt them, if
it's somebody having a heart attack, it's not going to
hurt okay, and then call nine one one right away.
And if you're there by yourself and it's hard to
give both, do the nar can and then call nine
one one right away. If someone else is there, you
can maybe be administering the nar can and yell for
someone else.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
They can call nine one one.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
But I think to get that quick response rolling is
real important. It also could be that one dose of
narcan may not work sure, so if you have multiple doses,
you might want to try again until someone arrives that
can give other medical treatment to them.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Right, that's very important. So again we talked about those simpsons.
I know some of those might be hard to hear,
but we wanted our audience to know a little bit
of what it looks like and sounds like, perhaps so
they're not too alarmed, but it is somewhat alarming anytime
you come across.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
The situation, no matter what's happening to somebody, it can
be alarming. And I think the more that we are
aware of it, and the more that we can think
first about what we would do rather than standing ourselves
in panic mode and just administering the narcanon, call nine
to one to one and so those would probably be
(30:16):
If you could just get those two things in your mind,
I think that would help all to save a life.
And that's really what we want to do. We want
to save that person and try to get them into
some kind of treatment programs.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Agreed. Well, we've been speaking with Vicky Taylor and Rick
Ford about this important issue of overdose awareness, and again
I will drop their contact information into the episode description.
But if folks want to learn more about any of
these issues, the narcan, the loxbox, the education prevention that's
going on, any of these things, a quick response team.
(30:50):
I think the best thing is just to contact each
one of you, just to talk to serve That sound good?
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (30:55):
All right, Well, doctor Ashley, this was an intense episode
for me.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Important, Yeah, but I'll tell you it's a serious issue because,
as Vicky said, we're losing too many folks when we
sit down for those yearly reviews. You know, it just
breaks my heart whether we're talking about suicide or overdose.
You know, every time we're losing somebody and we're trying
to learn from that and respond with all the different
(31:19):
things we've talked about today to hopefully get that number
to zero.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Absolutely, I just want to say thank you to both
of you for the good and important work that you do, and.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
You as well, because I think raising an awareness is
you know, a good step and I think you said
it earlier. It should be more than an overdose awareness
day or even a month. This should be we should
be making the awareness every day, and we need to
be talking.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
To people about this.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
We need to reduce the stigma. We need to kind
of talk about things like self care and how we
can help people manage stress and all of these things
that could be leading up to somebody making the choice
to use. And get engaged in each other's lives. We
are community and we need to know what's going on
with each other in our community. And that's the best
(32:07):
way to kind of reduce this is to be involved
in each other's lives.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Well, I cannot add to that. That was very well
said Health Commissioner. Thank you well, Thank you everyone, and
until next time, thank you for listening to another episode
of the Keeping Ashland Healthy podcast. The podcast is a
production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County, Ohio.
You can reach the board by calling four one nine
two eight one three one three nine. Please remember that
(32:34):
the board funds a local twenty four to seven crisis
line through Applese Community Mental Health Center. It can be
reached by calling four one nine two eight nine sixty
one one one. That's four one nine two eight nine
sixty one one one. Until next time, please join us
in keeping Ashland healthy
Welcome. You're listening to the Keeping Ashland Healthy Podcast, a
podcast production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of
Ashland County, Ohio. Thanks for joining us, and welcome back
to another episode of the Doctor Ashley and the Boss
podcast here on Keeping Ashland Healthy, a production of the
Mental Health and Recovery Board.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome, Thanks, How are you this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Boss?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Well, yeah, I'm nervous. We've got a couple guests and
so intimidating, very intimidating people in the room with us
today for overdose awareness. We're doing some awareness raising of
this important issue, and we brought in heavy hitters.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yes, we did. I'm really excited about this one.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I am too well in the room. Mister ford Welcome,
nice to see you here. He is the director. Can
he say welcome? I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
You're forcing me, yes, yes, yes, welcome. I'm Rick Fordham,
the director of ACADO.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yes, the CAADA director. And again we'll mention these numbers
as we go out, and I'll put them in the
episode description. But Kaita is four one, nine, two eight
nine seven sixty seven five. But again I'll mention that
again later. Mister ford the director is also a licensed
independent social worker years of experience in a substance use field,
so his insights and I think expertise in this topic
(01:21):
will become a parent as we go through the episode.
Also joining us is our health commissioner in Ashon County,
Vicky Taylor. Welcome, Vicky, thank you for having me today. Well,
I appreciate you being much more easy to work with him,
mister Ford. So Vicky is over at well your new location.
I still consider it a new location on Claremont there
(01:44):
and their numbers four one nine two eight two four
two three one again information again later in the episode
and in the episode description. But Vicky is our our
health commissioner and Rick have got a real, I think
important and unique you of overdose awareness, and we're interested
in talking that through in its aspects because again it's
(02:06):
a serious issue that Ashton County is trying to do
multiple approaches, doctor Ashley to see if we can't bring
these deaths down to zero, which is always our goal.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, we're losing too many people to overdose. Absolutely, So
this is an important topic today and.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
That kind of feeds into my first question for anybody
really is you know why, particularly in Ohio but this
is an effort that's going on throughout the country. Why
Overdose Awareness Day? And then as we're doing here in
the county, this is an all year kind of focus,
but we're using the day, if you will, as a
springboard to talk about this issue. But why is it
(02:43):
so important?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Well?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
The first the first thing, opioids killed more than one
hundred and thirty six Americans every single day. Think about that.
That's a lot of people every day we're losing. Right
In twenty twenty two, nine and fifteen laves were lost
from unintentional.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Drug overdoses and I was in Ohio, in Ohio.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Of those involved opioids.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Yeah, so again for for our listeners, we've talked about
fetanyl and fentanyl is one of those opioids that is
typically involved. Is that right, mister Ford? From your experience
both in terms of the treatment as well as prevention
and some of these stats, it seems like so many
of the opioids that we talked about, fentanyl is the
one that seems to be the one that's causing so
(03:28):
many of these overdose deaths.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
Yeah, that's absolutely correcting, you know, and fentyl being it's
an illicit synthetic opiate.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
So you know, even the.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Majority of those overdose related deaths in Ohio and across
the country, most of those involved fentanyl specifically as the
type of opioid that was you know, it's very pervasive,
it's potent, and it's profitable, you know, and that's why
it's in the drugs and illicit drugs. Obviously in the
(03:59):
hospitals that ain't quite different. You know, sure it all
is used for medical purposes and it's safe, but not
for illicit drugs.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And it's in every type of.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
Drug nowadays, not just you know, the standard opiate or heroin,
street heroin. We don't unfortunately, hear much about heroin anymore
in the past few years, and that's because of the
synthetic fetanyl really being so pervasive in all types of drugs,
especially stimulant drugs that's fetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It's for pervasive. So for the first of that's really
a drug.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
User, it's almost the norm or the expectation that fetanyl.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Is going to be a part of Interesting well, doctor,
actually Vicky mentioned some of the national statistics and then
some of the Ohio statistics. Can you tell us a
little bit about again why we're focused on in Ashley County.
Do we see some of these numbers reflected in Ashon
County data?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
We sure do.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
And the sad part is that as we talk about
fentanyl and it being mixed in with other substances, no
one ever knows how much they're getting, and that does
it just scary and how deadly it is. Fetanohl was
the leading drug use in our overdose deaths in the
last few years. But I also wanted to kind of
(05:18):
raise the fact that demographically drug overdose is affecting every
demographic in our community. So it's not like you can
pinpoint one certain age group or one certain race or population.
It is pervasive everywhere. And that's just the impact of
(05:39):
the deaths of the people using the overdose. Doesn't even
talk about the impact that it has on the families
and those that are left behind. So it's a serious
issue and it's one that's concerning, and it's it's concerning
enough that in the last few years, the Ohio Department
of Health has encouraged all counties within the state to
(06:01):
start doing an overdose fatality review, yes, so that we
can get to understand what is happening in our communities
and to provide the data and work together as a
community to kind of come up with ideas on how
we can curb this from happening in our community.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that, mister Ford, doctor Ashley,
and myself. We're all with you as well as other
key partners at that last meeting and appreciate your leadership
in that. But if I recall when we were actually
trying to figure out the actual number of overdose deaths,
and I guess that would have been calendar year twenty three,
(06:40):
I think that might have been amongst our highest numbers
that we experience. So this issue is front and center.
I think in Ashen.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
County, Yes, and twenty twenty two we had maybe two
more overdose deaths than twenty twenty three, but the trend
is clearly going up where we were when we first
started looking into this. So it is concerning. The average
age group is in the mid thirties, so if that's
(07:10):
the average age group, you can see what's going what's
happening there. But we also had some juvenile overdoses and
that was really concerning as well.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah, that gets it. I think what you know mister
Ford was saying about, you know, it being in so
many other substances. Whether you think you might be taking
I don't know, you name it.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Something like what they refer to as like a study
drug or a stimulant, so something in like the adderall.
Oftentimes it's in a benzodiazepine. So it's the anax klonopin
those those classifications of medications that you think you're getting
one thing.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
But you're not right. So one of the things we
talk about, I know your prevention specialists try to make
this point with the young people is you know, if
the medications not prescribed to you, don't take it, because
if you're you're taking it from somebody else, even if
they are a quote unquote friend of yours. If you
don't know where it's coming from. It might even say
(08:07):
to your example, Rick, it might even say adderall or
something else. On the pill itself, it might be stamped correctly,
but they're making these counterfeit pills look very close to
the original. So again, safety for us, if the drug
or the medication is not prescribed, you don't take it,
even if it's somebody you know.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Really well, Yeah, something I've heard you say before experimentation
is not the same today as it used to be.
The risk is much much higher because of the ventanyl
and the just the potency of that drug.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Agreed. Again, we're speaking with Vicky Taylor, Ashton County's Health Commissioner,
as well as Director Rick Ford of a KATA. So
we've talked a little bit about the whys and why
why the attention, and it's the numbers. We're losing far
too many people Ashton County, in the state, in the country.
So one of the things we wanted to highlight for
(08:59):
our listeners is, you know what we're doing locally to
address this issue, because Vicky, you mentioned the Overdose Fatality
Review Committee. Now that's not something a lot of people
would see in this community. It's an important thing that
we all are doing, and I think some action steps
can come out of it, but there might be some
more tangible or easily identifiable things that both of your
(09:21):
organizations are doing, so I wanted to talk through those
if we could. So one of the issues, one of
the primary overdose reversal medications is narcan, So either one
of you can we talk a little bit about what
narcan is, how it works, and where folks can get that.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Well, you know, Narcan is really the first, you know,
there's quite a few, there's a few others out there
now as well. You know, Narcan being you know, is
the drug or medication to utilize in a crisis if
we suspect that someone is an overdose.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
It's an overdose reversal drug.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
So basically, you know, not to get too scientific, but
it balances some of the opiates off our opiate receptors
in our brain and then essentially hopefully brings someone back
in their central nervous system and the breathing back.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
That's the simplest way I can explain.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
I'm not a science or a doctor, so I won't
try to pretend to be one. But at the same token,
it's probably the most successible and the easiest harm reduction,
life saving intervention that anybody in our community, our state,
our country can do. Narcian is available, you know, not
(10:38):
only at a CATA, but obviously through the health department,
and we provide, you know, we're available to provide narcian education,
what it is, how to use it, and really what
to do in an overdose situation on a daily basis.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Any any issues Vicky that folks need to be concerned
with in terms of you know, I've heard this before.
You know what if I give them nar Canon and
it wasn't an opioid that they're overdosing on it, you know,
how concerned do we need to be that. You know,
I give them the nar can and it wasn't an
opioid where that hurt them in some way.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So my understanding is will not hurt them, So it's
better to try the Narcan and because chances are it's
going to be opioid related, but if it's not, it
won't do any harm. And so we're trying to encourage
everybody to carry nark can. It's free, it's easy to use,
(11:35):
and we can give you a two minute demo on
how to use it.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
And I think both your organizations would do that if
folks want to demo, you know before they distribute that,
and it can be that quick because it's really a nasal. Yes, yes,
neither one of you guys are distributing any of the injections.
I know that's another route, but I think with needles
people get very very nervous, so we wanted to take
that out of the equation. So the you know, the
nasal distribute. It's like a one plunge and it's one
(12:02):
and done. Yep and uh. And that's it's as simple
as that to you. So we're hoping that takes away
some of the maybe the barriers that people have in mind.
Speaker 5 (12:10):
You know, and you know, if they do walk into
a CATO, the only thing where you really need to
knows their zip code. We don't need name any personal
identifying information other than really a zip code. In fact,
even we had a call or an email over the weekend,
I responded to and the gentleman came in this morning
and met with our peer recovery support person to get
that in NARCAN.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
A few kits and.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Then also the education that goes with it, and they
were just providing general education around recovery and what that
may look like. He was coming in for his significant
another who's going to be coming home soon, so he wanted.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
To make sure just in case there was a potential
for relapse that he was educated and armed.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
With the drug overdose reversal drugs.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So yeah, that's great, And again I'm going to take
occasion since Rick brought this up. You know, when the
recovery journey for a lot of folks that are struggling,
whether it's opioids are any substance, but particularly with opioids,
what we've seen is a real risk if the person
maybe has been in recovery for a period of time,
(13:18):
hasn't been using for a period of time, but then
has a slipper or relapse. Oftentimes they'll go back to
using in a way, in a manner, at a level
that they're used to, but their bodies have changed in
the interviewing a period of time, so they are really
high risk. I mean, it's always a high risk, but
if you've been clean and sober for a period of
(13:40):
time and in a period of you know, abstinence, and
then you go back to using, that person's really at
high risk. You know that fair to say director forward that,
you know, so having the narcan on available in those
situations seems to be very wise. But I just want
our listeners to know that. So if you're supporting the
loved one that maybe doing well, they've got a period
(14:01):
of sobriety and abstinence on their belt, but you know
they're back. Maybe they were in more of a controlled setting,
whether that's a rehabilitation or residential and sometimes even in
a jail once they're out, there's a really there's a
high risk there. So you want to be involved with
your loved one's life and have nar CAN available.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Right, absolutely, they could. You know you set up perfectly.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well, thank you because doctor Ashley never you know, comments
that way, so I appreciate you. Mister.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, you said perfect.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
That's exactly right in terms of the risk.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
And you know, I think that's exactly why one of
the interventions that we help with the.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
County is being available in our jail programming.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
And folks getting released and then we have the m
AT which would you know, medications, SISTE treatment, but also
just the awareness of having NARCND and that they are
going to be released and that they're at high risk
if they were to go reuse just because of what
you had said earlier.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
So you're already doing that education with the individual as
well as maybe those people there they're going to be around.
That's great, that's great. Another thing we're doing locally is
these wonder I've got one in my vehicle actually right
now is on an a lox box. I've been taking
these around. I know rick Etikaida has been distributing these
to organizations and businesses that that want one, and I
(15:24):
know we could still do that if you contact mister Ford.
But uh, what is an a LOX box? That sounds interesting?
Speaker 5 (15:32):
Uh, Well, essentially they are an emergency kit whore. But
it also will have like facial coverings and there the
knocks on itself or the narcan is you know, equipped
in there, so a few kits of those and then
just remembering.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
To replenish them if they are utilized too.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
So it's just not a box holding the narci in itself.
But it also gives instructions on how to administer the narcan,
you know, what to do in crisis.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
So it lays it all out.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
There's information sheets that anybody could pull off and use
to give real good directions about signs of overdose, how to.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Administer the nar can, what to do.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
You know in that whole crisis situation, and hopefully there
is enough narcan that it helps bring someone back.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So, Vicky, you had mentioned this, but you know the
idea is to have these boxes in publicly available, public
accessible locations so that anybody could possibly intervene. And again
no cost to get a box, no costs for the
narcan in either one of your organizations as well, so
(16:49):
I want to make sure that's you know, so price
is not an issue. As you heard Vicky and Rick say,
they can do the training as little as a couple
of minutes on how to use the narcan. But the
locks box is really just intended as said to be
just a container, and like I said, it's a pretty
heavy duty container that can be placed on a wall.
Have the information, as mister Ford said, available, and we're
(17:09):
trying to increase how many of these boxes are throughout
Ashland County because again you said it when you're talking
about the demos, Becky, it doesn't discriminate. So our thinking
is they need to be all over town because we'd
never know when somebody might experience an overdose and that
box might save that life.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Right, And we talk about these overdoses as being unintentional,
because they are, but there's also people that weren't even
wanting to use drugs and had exposure to it, okay,
and we also need to be able to have narcan
available for that. And we found that happened at the
Sheriff's department, but that could happen in a school setting or.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Anything unintentional exposure.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Right, unintentional exposure either through someone else having it available
in a home or something. So I think we want
to get rid of that stigma that uh we're only
putting it out there for you know, drug users, which
we are, because we want them to be able to
recuperate and recover and have access to care. But it's
(18:12):
also you know, children could get into it somehow and
you would need to be able to act quickly and
get the narcan available to them. I would love to
see it in school systems and every business and all
of our public places.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
So now, Vicky, I know, mister Fordner and Kaita there
distributor at the boxes, do you also have those available
for we have some that.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
We can get also through grant funding, okay available so again,
and also we also put it in our so we
have a ED boxes all over right. We even put
doses of narcan in our a ED boxes. So even
if you don't want to hold the locks on box,
but you have a D A D boxes in your facilities,
(18:58):
we could give you doses of narcan put just right
in that box, so it's right where it's available.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Okay, Well that's important, uh, information, and again I'll have
those numbers available, uh, for both Vicky and mister Ford
in the episode description. So if you're interested either in
the narcan or in the locks box, you can you
can contact them on that because that's an important ongoing
effort and that's a part of education and prevention, which
(19:24):
I wanted to talk about just briefly because we had
some of the prevention specialists from CADA on a few
episodes ago. But I just wanted our listening audience to
know that this is part of the curriculum that they
added a few years ago. You know, the prevention specialist
in Nashal County and our school system, they've been talking
about some of the harms of other types of substances
(19:45):
for some years, whether that was marijuana or cigarettes or alcohol.
But they've added, you know, some sections on opioids because of,
you know, the crisis that we're in. So I just
wanted to We don't have to spend a lot of
times I would encourage folks to listen to that episode,
but that is going on in our school systems as
well as in our adult realms, which is what we're
talking about now. We're also doing education and prevention for
(20:08):
our adults, and that includes things like our drug drop boxes.
And we've got two of these. They look like almost
like if you're mailing, going to the mailbox, the old
school mailbox, mister Ford, you know the old blue ones,
the standalone, Well they look like that. One is at
the Ashton County Sheriff in the annex and the other
ones down in Loudonville and the Police Department's lobby. But basically,
(20:30):
whenever those lobbies are open, folks can get rid of
those excess medications that might be lying around because again
we talk about risks and prevention, the more of these
extra or unused medications we can get disposed of properly
and out of the hands of who knows who the better. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
I just had a talk last week with a group
of people down Loudonville and I think a lot of
people don't know those exist. So I'm glad you brought
that up up. Yeah, and it's easy to do. You
can go and just drop it off.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
It's not like no questions I ask.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
You're right, yeah, And I think that's a great thing
we have here in Ashley County.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
So another thing, you know, speaking and again that's why
we do these episodes, and it's why we do all
of our community education is because it's doctor Asher said,
a lot of folks just don't know. They don't know,
so we keep doing these things. And I know for
the people that do know, they said, oh, David, not
the boxes again, Well that message isn't for you. It's
for the people that never heard about our boxes. But
(21:30):
there's another thing that you know, Rick, I know a
lot of people don't know about our Quick Response Team,
but this is another way that we're trying to make
an impact for individuals that maybe have just recently overdosed.
So if we could, just if you don't mind, take
a few minutes to talk about what is the Quick
Response Team in Ashley County. What's that all about?
Speaker 5 (21:50):
It really is about the use deflection of the use
of any kind of drug, but more importantly, to help
deflect and prevent future overdoses. So, you know, along with
our peer recover support person at a CAADA, Laurie McLaughlin,
two to four metric detectives, either through Ashland City Police
(22:12):
and or the Ashland County Sheriff's Department, they go out
on post overdose visits.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
So after somebody has overdose like that, okay.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
And so if it obviously if it was called innumergency
services and they have that information, they will do an
outreach to the individual or individuals just depending on the situation,
and try to also have contact with their if they
have any support people or family that may have been
(22:42):
involved or just was at their residence. We want to
talk to everybody in the household. So it's really a
non punitive type of visit, you know. And so you know,
the officers are in plain clothes, they drive in an
onmarked car.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
So it's really to foster a relationship.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Between the community and the legal sector at the same token.
But more most importantly they that you know, during the
visits they're doing narcian education, we're doing distribution in terms
of given an arcanaw and really talking about all the
resources that are available in Ashland, throughout the county and
(23:24):
the community that are available to any individual or family
effective by substitutes orient you know, if they have mental
health concerns or if they have food dispairy, any of
those type of things. We're looking at their basic needs
all the way through potential treatment needs or recovery needs.
So it's really informal yet formal type of visit. It's
(23:46):
voluntary and you know, most often for the people that
they do reach their one hundred percent cooperative and gauge.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I think I want to get involved.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
I know last year, I think they had over forty contacts. Yeah,
and that may have been with the same individual on
more than one occasion regarding their own single overdose. But
they can do follow up, so it isn't just one
one time visit necessarily. It really depends on the individual
what they want, what will follow up with them as
long as it needs to be yep. And this year
(24:21):
we've done about seventeen.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Visits, okay so far. Yeah, So I guess I want
the audience to know that, you know, that's the way
Ashton kind of cares about our folks that are struggling
with this issue. So if you have overdosed on opioid
and you're taking to one of our eers, well you know,
you should expect that whether it's you yourself or a
(24:43):
loved one, that the Quick Response team is going to
be coming out within a few days to talk about
that experience because we see that experience as a potential
turning point in your recovery. So, as mister Ford says,
with LORII the peer as well as our law enforcement folks,
they're going to try to engage that per and it's like,
you know, you know this just happened. This this, this
(25:03):
near death experience just happened a few days ago. You know,
let us get involved and help you avoid that in
the future. You know, let's let's do what we can
to reduce any barriers that you may answer, any questions,
et cetera. So I just want the audience to know
that that's the way this this community cares about our
folks that are struggling. We often say that the recovery
(25:25):
journey is you know, it's a spiral. It's just not
a linear line that goes up. We know folks go
through these various times. So uh just know that, as
Rick said, well, well, the quick response team will respond
to the same individual multiple times because we understand that.
And that's another thing Rick, You've brought to my attention.
Some folks feel like if they've been receiving treatment at
(25:47):
a CADA or other agencies, you know, and they're doing well,
but then they have a relapse, well I can't go
back there. People will talk about me, or they'll think
something Nope, Nope, they're not because they understand that they're
recovery journey is not linear. In fact, I think some
of the best therapists Rick, they talk about that at intake,
so you know, if in fact the person does have
(26:08):
a slip or a relapse, they don't feel ashamed to
go back and get help from that agency. Rick has
a tagline for his substance use minutes. Can you recall
that what that tagline is, mister Ford.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Let's support, not just let's support, not judge.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah. Rick introduced that some years ago. Now it seems
like and I really appreciate that. I've tried to tell
them that, and I support that. It's not about the judgment.
It's about getting the person to help and the resources
they need. So good job on that, mister Ford.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
We have examples that our office every day about people
returning not necessarily because they had a slip, just because
they wanted to not Yeah. Interesting, and they kind of
know themselves and they've worked treatment and been a part
of recovery and recognizing maybe some personal signs or indicators
that I need to go talk to someone, you know,
(26:56):
either be indicator or somewhere else, but I need to
talk and this.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Through to prevent it. So they're all, you know, getting
to a point of doing their own prevention.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
And I know, I just got a call last Friday
with the former he was actively engaged in treatment, called
and said, hey, I did slip and I need to
come back again.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
That's fine, I'm on it. We'll see them tomorrow morning.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Well, doctor Ashley, we are meeting with Icky Taylor, our
health commissioner. They're numbers four one nine two eight two
four to two three one, as well as Rick Ford,
the director at a CADA four two eight nine, seven,
six seven five. And this next part of the conversation again, uh,
we we just want folks to kind of understand what
(27:39):
someone might look like sound like that's overdosing. So Vicky
or whoever wants to take this, Uh, this is more
of the crisis situation. So if if you maybe come
across somebody that experiences the things we're going to talk about,
they may be experiencing an overdose. Some of these symptoms
or signs are pretty tell tale. So we don't want
(28:00):
folks to be alarmed. And as Rick said, a lot
of this is in the actual thelox box if those
are available, But if you could, maybe, Vicky, if you
could take this just talk. You know what would folks
maybe see here if they come across somebody that has
is in the in the process of overdosing on an opioid.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Sure, well, they would have symptoms of a limp body,
slow to stop breathing. They might be vomiting or making
gurgling noises. They may look pale and feel clammy okay,
and their lips may turn purple or blue color. You're
unable to wake them, unable to speak to them, or
(28:40):
they're unable to speak to you, So uh, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
What do we do? Yeah, so I come across that scene,
that's a little.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Scary, absolutely, and you know those are similar symptoms to
something else too, So you may not know for sure,
but my first response would be to give the narcan,
like we said.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Or if that's available, yes, give.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
It because because it's not going to hurt them, if
it's somebody having a heart attack, it's not going to
hurt okay, and then call nine one one right away.
And if you're there by yourself and it's hard to
give both, do the nar can and then call nine
one one right away. If someone else is there, you
can maybe be administering the nar can and yell for
someone else.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
They can call nine one one.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
But I think to get that quick response rolling is
real important. It also could be that one dose of
narcan may not work sure, so if you have multiple doses,
you might want to try again until someone arrives that
can give other medical treatment to them.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Right, that's very important. So again we talked about those simpsons.
I know some of those might be hard to hear,
but we wanted our audience to know a little bit
of what it looks like and sounds like, perhaps so
they're not too alarmed, but it is somewhat alarming anytime
you come across.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
The situation, no matter what's happening to somebody, it can
be alarming. And I think the more that we are
aware of it, and the more that we can think
first about what we would do rather than standing ourselves
in panic mode and just administering the narcanon, call nine
to one to one and so those would probably be
(30:16):
If you could just get those two things in your mind,
I think that would help all to save a life.
And that's really what we want to do. We want
to save that person and try to get them into
some kind of treatment programs.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Agreed. Well, we've been speaking with Vicky Taylor and Rick
Ford about this important issue of overdose awareness, and again
I will drop their contact information into the episode description.
But if folks want to learn more about any of
these issues, the narcan, the loxbox, the education prevention that's
going on, any of these things, a quick response team.
(30:50):
I think the best thing is just to contact each
one of you, just to talk to serve That sound good?
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (30:55):
All right, Well, doctor Ashley, this was an intense episode
for me.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Important, Yeah, but I'll tell you it's a serious issue because,
as Vicky said, we're losing too many folks when we
sit down for those yearly reviews. You know, it just
breaks my heart whether we're talking about suicide or overdose.
You know, every time we're losing somebody and we're trying
to learn from that and respond with all the different
(31:19):
things we've talked about today to hopefully get that number
to zero.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Absolutely, I just want to say thank you to both
of you for the good and important work that you do, and.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
You as well, because I think raising an awareness is
you know, a good step and I think you said
it earlier. It should be more than an overdose awareness
day or even a month. This should be we should
be making the awareness every day, and we need to
be talking.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
To people about this.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
We need to reduce the stigma. We need to kind
of talk about things like self care and how we
can help people manage stress and all of these things
that could be leading up to somebody making the choice
to use. And get engaged in each other's lives. We
are community and we need to know what's going on
with each other in our community. And that's the best
(32:07):
way to kind of reduce this is to be involved
in each other's lives.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Well, I cannot add to that. That was very well
said Health Commissioner. Thank you well, Thank you everyone, and
until next time, thank you for listening to another episode
of the Keeping Ashland Healthy podcast. The podcast is a
production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County, Ohio.
You can reach the board by calling four one nine
two eight one three one three nine. Please remember that
(32:34):
the board funds a local twenty four to seven crisis
line through Applese Community Mental Health Center. It can be
reached by calling four one nine two eight nine sixty
one one one. That's four one nine two eight nine
sixty one one one. Until next time, please join us
in keeping Ashland healthy
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