Editorial: Opioid epidemic only gets worse – Opinion – Ocala.com

We are losing ground in the battle against opioids, heroin and, now, fentanyl-laced drugs.

Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham shocked the community Tuesday when he went online with an “urgent” message: Six people died of drug overdoses within the previous 10 days. He went on to explain that the toxic fentanyl has been found in virtually every type of drug in Ocala/Marion County and it just is not opioids or heroin that are causing drug-overdose deaths.

Graham call was a warning to drug users. It is a warning we should heed, given the rest of the numbers the veteran police chief share. In 2017, there were 78 overdoses and 16 deaths just within the city of Ocala. So far this year, with the year end nearing, there have been 161 overdoes and 25 deaths.

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We are losing ground in the battle against opioids, heroin and, now, fentanyl-laced drugs.

Yet, it is not for lack of efforts by a consortium of community groups, law enforcement, health care organizations, government and drug treatment facilities. Since the creation of the Marion County Children’s Alliance Opioid and Heroin Task Force in 2017, we have witnessed a coming together of a wide variety of people and organizations affected by the spiraling opioid/heroin crisis. Fentanyl has been a problem as well, and now is exacerbating what Graham’s has accurately called “an epidemic.”

Through the Opioid and Heroin Task Force, Ocala/Marion County has look at what other communities are doing and developed a game plan of sorts to begin addressing the opioid and heroin crisis here.

So far we have seen:

— A coalescing of groups and organizations, public and private, who meet regularly to develop a strategy for fighting this scourge not only on our community but the state and nation.

— The allocation of a grant from the Marion County Hospital District to the Task Force so it could hire a “navigator,” Phil Day, whose job is to assist opioid addicts get the services and treatment they need. Since February, Day has exceeded expectations, which was to serve 100 people his first year. In the first two quarters on the job, he assisted 234 people.

— The Ocala Police Department has an “amnesty” program for opioid users who want help. If they walk into OPD and ask to be taken to a treatment center, a police officer will take them, no questions asked. So far, 37 citizens have taken advantage of the program.

— With the help of The Centers, local hospitals and local government, Narcon has been made available to all law enforcement officers, emergency medical crews and any business that wants to have some on hand.

— The Task Force is also working with Drug Court and the county jail to identify individuals with an opioid history and get them help.

But there is one huge hurdle that will take more than local will and commitment — enough drug treatment beds for all those who need help.

While the state of Florida this year budgeted $65 million for battling opioids and received another $50 million from the federal government, it is woefully inadequate for the magnitude of the problem. Clearly the problem is growing. When the Legislature reconvenes, attacking this health crisis with adequate resources should be a priority. If there is no place to get opioid addicts treatment — and there are precious few in our community — it will continue to get worse.