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SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2023

FENTANYL CRISIS “

Millions pledged for crisis care and addiction

Brookings, Oregon

This is the third incident of a double death from fentanyl overdose in two years

The big city drug epidemic has made its way to Curry County. John Ward, Curry County Sheriff

On some fronts, the Oregon Legislature took immediate action to address the state’s behavioral health and addiction crises. On another front, lawmakers avoided direct action by creating a task force to discuss solutions. For example, lawmakers passed an expansive proposal that would make opioid overdose reversal medication more widely available in different settings, like public schools and buildings. They also passed a 40-cent monthly phone tax to pay for a new crisis hotline, 988. But other decisions will take more time to play out: They formed a task force to look at alcohol taxes and addiction programs rather than raise the beer and wine tax to pay for recovery programs. Though the 2023 legislative session is wrapped up, Oregon remains in the throes of a complex set of behavioral health and addiction crises. Residential treatment options for people grappling with behavioral health issues are limited, with more demand for beds than availability. The opioid addiction crisis – and deaths from overdoses – are on the rise in Oregon, with lethal fentanyl widely available. Advocates and lawmakers agree that years of work lie ahead for Oregon’s behavioral health system.

Officials say they are seeing fentanyl mixed with xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, which is impervious to Naloxone. Naloxone is used to reverse an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids and stabilize breathing.

Residential treatment Through different bills, state lawmakers have allocated money to expand residential treatment facilities for people who need mental health or addiction treatment services. They include: $50 million in lottery bond funding to expand residential treatment for people with severe mental illness. That came through Senate Bill 5506, an end-of-session budget proposal. $15 million to expand facilities that treat children and adults with drug or alcohol addiction is included in Senate Bill 5525, which Gov. Tina Kotek has not yet signed. It’s unclear how many people those budget items might help. The Oregon Health Authority officials didn’t provide the Capital Chronicle with an estimate of the number of beds they expect to add. But lawmakers want to track where the money goes – and what the needs will be. Senate Bill 5525 requires the agency to prepare a report showing how many behavioral health facility beds the system has and how the money has expanded the system. That report is due by Feb. 1, 2025 and will go to the Legislature’s joint budget committee as the next long session starts. “We will know how much more residential treatment capacity we

ELLIOT SCHWARZ | Country Media, Inc. Two more deaths from drug Executive Officer Ginny Williams cost-free by numerous community overdose have been reported in said, “we’ve seen a staggering organizations. Curry County. Both adults were increase,” of substance abuse, Xylazine is a veterinary found in the same residence particularly since the passage of tranquilizer not approved for on Coverdell Road July 29. proposition 110, decriminalizing human use, and commonly used The preliminary investigation the use of hard drugs such as as a horse anesthetic. It is not a indicates the cause of death is heroin, methedrine, and cocaine, controlled substance in the United likely Fentanyl. but the recent spike in fentanyl States. It is another dangerous According to Curry County cases has been especially notable drug whose use has spiked in Sherriff John Ward this is the of late. recent years. third incidence of a double death In a press release from the The Centers for Disease Control from Fentanyl overdose in the last sheriff, Ward stated, “It did not (CDC) reports that “the presence two years. appear either person intended of xylazine in drugs tested in labs “The big city drug epidemic has on ingesting Fentanyl but had increased in every region of the made its way to Curry County” used another substance that had United States from 2020-2021, Ward said. been contaminated with it. This with the largest increase in the The city of Brookings has also happens frequently and can be South. Studies from specific areas experienced this problem, “we’ve completely unintentional. It’s found similar increases. seen a dramatic increase in both as easy as reusing saida bag One study from 10 cities in the abuse and deaths.” said Lt. Donny that once contained fentanyl to United States showed xylazine Dotson of the Brookings Police sell a different drug. That cross was involved in less than 1% of Department. contamination alone is enough to drug overdose deaths in 2015 and According to Dotson, the cause a fatal overdose.” in nearly 7% in 2020. In samples following figures show the Another grave concern with from eight syringe service dramatic rise in fentanyl overdose fentanyl is that it is frequently programs in Maryland tested calls in the city: mixed with Xylazine, which is between 2021 and 2022, xylazine Jan. 1, 2023 – July 4, 2023 not counteracted by Naloxone was found in almost 80% of drug 31 reported as is fentanyl according to samples that contained opioids. “ Jan. 2, 2022 – July 4, 2222 Dr. Albert McClain, Chief of According to a local 14 reported Surgery at Sutter Coast Hospital. veterinarian it has a very narrow Jan.1, 2021 – July 4, 2021 Naloxone is carried by most law range of therapeutic safety. 1 reported enforcement officers and first See FENTANYL, Page 6 Curry Health Network Chief responders. It is also dispensed

Incumbents win Coos-Curry Co-Op seats

DAVID RUPKALVIS Country Media, Inc.

After a long and often heated election cycle, voters in CoosCurry Electric Cooperative overwhelmingly voted for no change. Just more than 2,600 voters cast ballots with incumbents Cheryl McMahan and Daryl Robinson coasting to re-election. The election for the board of directors’ seats was debated heavily largely due to the current board’s decision to move the co-op into the home Internet market. Many of The Pilot readers submitted Letters to the Editor expressing their views for the candidates. Challengers Sue Gold and See MONEY, Page 7

INDEX

Daryl Robinson

Gayle Wilcox decried the move, saying that taking on debt to open Beacon Broadband put the entire co-op and its members at risk. During the election, the challengers said the co-op members, as owners of the organization, were personally on the hook if Beacon Broadband

Cheryl McMahan

was not successful. They also said there is enough competition in Coos and Curry counties, with for-profit companies such as Ziply Fiber and Spectrum offering high-speed Internet in the counties. But when the voters made their decision, they opted to keep the board in place. In the Southern District 1 and 2 seat, which covers the Brookings

and Harbor areas, McMahan received 1,663 votes to 883 for Sue Gold. Gold is a former county commissioner, but that experience did not sway voters. In District 4, which includes the Port Orford and Langlois areas, Robinson received 1,502 votes to 850 for Wilcox. According to a press release from the co-op, the CCEC board of directors’ election was administered by SBS DirectVote, an independent election service vendor with an established election process. SBS has a sophisticated chain-of-custody for election mailings to ensure accuracy and the highest level of security. Elected directors will each serve three-year terms.

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Ave, Ste 7, Brookings, 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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