Pasco County agencies pushing for progress in fight against opioid crisis: 'We still have a long way to go'
ODESSA, Fla. - A Pasco County alliance made up of community resources is helping combat opioid and fentanyl addiction through proactive and reactive measures. The Pasco County Alliance for Substance Addiction Prevention (ASAP) hosted its 4th Annual Opioid Town Hall on Wednesday evening at the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center.
Dr. Heather Henderson, Director of Social Emergency Medicine at TGH was the keynote speaker. This year's town hall theme was Prioritizing Community Voices.
ASAP took time to ask the dozens of attendees what other resources are needed to combat the ongoing opioid crisis. According to a report released by the CDC on Wednesday, overdose deaths in the U.S. are down for the first time in five years, from 2022 to 2023. Still, the report states that more than 107,000 Americans died last year from overdoses.
READ: US overdose deaths decline slightly in 2023, CDC reports
In late April, ASAP posted an "Overdose Alert" on its Facebook to notify the community that six overdoses were reported locally within a 24-hour period.
"It still is a big crisis in our community and we still have a long way to go," said Parnia Roghani Shareefm Co-Chair of ASAP’s Opioid Committee, "The numbers are still pretty up there, but there has been a decrease, especially since COVID."
ASAP believes that the local decrease is owed to Narcan accessibility. Pasco County Fire Rescue also takes extra measures to reduce addiction and overdose. In 2022, it launched a Mobile Integrated Health Program.
"My partners and I go out after overdoses and see what potential services we can hook them up to. Detox to recovery, even just using our services throughout the county," paramedic Glenn Traiger said.
Pasco Fire Rescue also has a Narcan Leave-Behind program on all of its trucks.
"I’m honored and proud. I’m proud that our county has come together as one to really attack the situation. I mean it’s a pandemic," Traiger said.
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Meanwhile, Justin McPadden, President & CEO of The Hope Shot takes care of the addiction recovery side of the issue. He said, "We’re going to deal with pretty much everything. From 0 to 100, we can help people from substance misuse or their families."
ASAP and The Hope Shot announced the construction of a joint Prevention and Recovery Center.
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