GA’s fight against fentanyl

Paige Blakemore Staff Writer

On Jan. 11, Gov. Brian Kemp participated in a panel at the 2023 Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The panel included discussions on how every governor across the country is dealing with the increasing fentanyl epidemic.

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), there is enough fentanyl present in the country to kill every American.

The GA Department of Public Health stated that from 20192021, fentanyl-involved overdose deaths increased by 218%.

“The opioid epidemic with fentanyl contamination has been a problem for many years,” said Dr. Stephanie Jett, a psychology professor, “Overprescribing of opiates for pain management has hit rural areas, specifically in the South, the hardest.”

Affluent areas in metro Atlanta are no strangers to the epidemic. With many GC students coming from these areas, health educator Rachel Pope feels it is necessary to be aware of these students, who are equipped with prior knowledge.

GC has taken steps to help combat this crisis. Over winter break, Rachel Pope sponsored a Narcan reversal training camp with the guid- ance of The Jed Foundation and supplies from Georgia Overdose Prevention (GOP). Naloxone (Narcan) can reverse opioid overdoses with an easy nasal spray.

“It is so simple and can save so many lives,” said Pope.

30 members of GC’s staff and administration attended the training. It was a surprising turnout, with multiple departments represented.

“It is a start,” explained Pope. “Our goal is to have a dosage of Narcan in every building on campus.”

Pope went on to say that, ideally, there will be Narcan training offered every semester for more faculty and staff. Eventually, the train- ing will bench off to students, starting with large groups such as Greek life and athletes.

As reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the combination of opioid use disorder and fatal overdoses costs Georgia an estimated $21 million each year.

Kemp and his administration have released proposals that would help fund mental health, substance abuse crisis centers and mobile teams all associated with the epidemic.

In 2022, Kemp secured $636 million for treatment and prevention against the crisis.

“Georgia will now have additional resources to strengthen our response and address this crisis head-on,” Kemp said.

Passed by both the House and Senate, House Bill 911 included funding to help implement

In order to move forward and see progress, we need a societal and cultural shift. Destigmatizing opiod-related conversations and speaking out is a start.

-Dr. Stephanie Jett

Editorial Board

Katherine Futch..............

Cale Strickland................

Claire O’Neill...................

Rebecca Meghani..........

Lily Pruitt............................

Hayden Flinn....................

Brennan Schmitz...........

Jennifer Crider.................

William Van de the settlement of opioids.

Planque..............................

Abigayle Allen..................

Hannah Adams...............

Anjali Shenoy................

Marissa Marcolina.........

Connor Patronis.............

Robert Trotter...................

William Burke..................

Additionally, the bill proposed Georgia Opioid Abatement Trust Funds and the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Advisory Council.

“It’s nice to know that tax paying dollars are going into something that will benefit every member of society,” said Sam Paton, a freshman political science major. “In my opinion, it will take years to fully progress.”

With regard to mental health, Rachel Pope made sure to point out the effects this epidemic has had through a tremendous amount of research and studies.

“The more you misuse substances, the more negative impact on your mental health. If you are not taking care of your body, your GPA is going to be negatively affected,” Pope said.

GC offers a variety of mental health and substance abuse resources for students and employees through their partner Christie Campus Health.

These resources are available 24/7 and consist of services like TeleHealth, counseling services and Silver Cloud.

“In order to move forward and see progress, we need a societal and cultural shift. Destigmatizing opioid-related conversations and speaking out is a start,” said Dr. Jett.

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Although the apprehension of an important suspect is one small step on the road to healing for all those afflicted by this senseless, violent act, this case brought about a visceral sense of uneasiness and discomfort that reached far beyond the modest 25,000 residents of this Idahoan town and seeped into and damaged the collective psyche of our entire nation.

This crime has had effects on the American public’s perception of its own personal safety. Several students at GC find that their sense of safety in their lives has been negatively affected by the developing story around these murders.

“The lack of public access to information about the relationship between the suspect and victims raises many other questions for me,” said senior Corbin Dent, an early childhood eduction major. “This case has definitely made me feel less safe, knowing that all the victims were my age and living in off-campus housing, just as I do.”

In the past decade, there has been an increase in random acts of violence that operate outside logic, reasoning or purpose. This leaves many people having difficulty understanding the situations. Many people who do try to understand the mind behind brutal slayings such as this one often turn to the idea of a

“lone wolf.” Killers often tend to emerge from the internet after gaining support on media as information arises about these criminals. They often have bitter resentment towards women, and this community outright rejects certain progressive ideals that have become the foundation of many people in today’s gender paradigms.

GC Law professor Adam Lamparello agrees with this way of understanding those who choose to commit to these sadistic stabbings or criminal acts.

“There is a pattern of conduct in those who engage in this type of violence that indicates most all individuals who partake in these violent acts have tendencies towards malignant narcissism, extreme social isolation or loneliness, a lack of empathy for other human beings and rejection by women that leaves them in a state of involuntary celibacy,” Lamparello said.

Many GC students are sickened by the information emerging about the suspect.

“That dude is bat**** crazy,” said sophomore Nina Schwelm, Mass

Communication major.

Many students do not have much to offer except bitter resentment and fear.

“It hit me too close to home,” Dent said.

Kohberger remains in custody without bond until his preliminary hearing on June 26, which has made many people feel at ease, even though he has not yet been proven guilty. There is not much one can say to attempt to provide some type of solace to people who remain terrified that this violence lurks around the corner from them.