Editorial: The opioid battle – Opinion – Ocala.com

It was a single arrest resulting from a small drug deal gone wrong. But for Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham, the bust warranted a news conference, complete with the sheriff and the mayor present. Graham wants to send a message — loud and clear.

That message: If you deal drugs that kill someone, you will be charged with murder.

The man arrested was 28-year-old Zachary Powers. On Oct. 2, Ocala police say Powers sold a small amount of heroin to Ocalan Gloria Rivera, a 39-year-old mother of four. A few hours later, Rivera’s 10-year-old daughter found her dead in their home, a victim of an overdose of heroin laced with fentanyl. Police investigated and used Rivera’s cell phone to identify and locate Powers, ultimately arresting him and charging him with first-degree murder.

Powers is the third accused Ocala drug dealer charged with murder as authorities look for any way possible to slow the growth of opioid, heroin and fentanyl use — and deaths — in Ocala/Marion County.

Graham’s message is a strong one, and just part of an ever-evolving and increasingly strong communitywide strategy to stop the scourge of opioids and heroin. Over the past two years, community public safety and health groups — led by the Children’s Alliance’s Heroin/Opioid Task Force — have joined forces to identify ways to stem the epidemic that is killing 17 people a day in Florida. Here is Ocala/Marion County, the number of overdoses tripled between 2016 and 2018, despite the stepped-up local efforts.

In addition to the get-tough stance by the Ocala Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Office, there are now more resources and awareness thanks to the Task Force’s efforts. For example:

— With the help of federal and local grant dollars, the Task Force hired a so-called “navigator” to help those struggling with drug addiction get the help they need. Since being hired a little more than year ago, navigator Phil O’Day has worked with 271 different individuals. He has provided 3,469 various services to those individuals, mostly getting them treatment. Children’s Alliance Executive Director Beth McCall says demand for the navigator’s assistance is so great, the community really needs a second navigator, but funding has been denied.

— The Ocala Police Department’s amnesty program, which is a year old this week, offers addicts no-questions-asked help, including transportation to a treatment facility, by simply walking into OPD and asking for it. So far, 51 individuals have taken advantage of the program, with most of them being successful.

— Narcan, a nose spray with naloxone, which resuscitates overdose victims, has been distributed to all law enforcement officers as well as Emergency Medical Service paramedics. Some businesses also have been provided Narcan to address employee overdoses. Graham noted that last year Narcan saved 46 lives in Ocala. O’Day has had seven “Narcan saves” himself.

— The Centers received funding this year for 15 new and desperately needed drug treatment beds. More, of course, are needed.

The community is making considerable gains in trying to stem the opioid/heroin/fentanyl crisis. Yet, as Graham noted, the number of overdose cases tripled between 2016 and 2018. Narcan, thankfully, kept the number of deaths from tripling. Yet, O’Day reports that of the 271 people who sought his help over the past year, 178 sought it themselves. People addicted to heroin/opioids want and need help.

We are seeing what works. Now what we need is more resources. More education, more navigators, more treatment beds, more law enforcement.