Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
Featured photo: Mayor Sheldon Neeley and Nurse Practitioner Denika Dalton
City of Flint Public Health Manager Public Health Manager Shebra Ward recently noted that since 2021, in the city of Flint alone, there have been as over 600 situations where the individuals who overdosed on drugs lost their lives. However, on a positive note, she also said there had been over 2,000 overdoses where the individual who overdosed survived.
“…We’re still seeing some increases in certain areas because of the accessibility to the proper services and resources,” stated Ward. “There are more younger people getting introduced when it comes to drugs.”
Ward noted that to mitigate that, the City has implemented Narcan stations across the city. However, she added, it is also important that city residents get properly trained and that the Narcan can be dispersed the way it needs to be for the matter to improve.
In addition, awareness that drug use is still a problem is important.
“There is still fentanyl that people are taking in high doses, especially the young people,” Ward said.
Ward pointed out that even taking a pill at one given time that you’ve never taken before could send a person into an overdose.
“A lot of times, if a person is unresponsive, where you’re trying to wake them, but they’re not waking up, a lot of times, that could be a sign of an overdose. So, that’s the importance of the Narcan. You can administer that, and it brings them back.”
Some common signs of drug use in general Ward gave are slurred speech, incoherent speech or decreased levels of attention, which can also be signs of alcohol use.
The City of Flint will host an Overdose Awareness Day event on Friday, August 30, at Flint City Hall, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Free Narcan kits will be distributed there, and training will be provided on how to use it. In addition to raising awareness that opioid use is still problematic in our community, stories of hope and healing will be shared. Local resource booths will be on site for attendees to get more information, and there will be a community memorial. Besides being able to hear speakers and find out where residents can get help, attendees to the event will receive wristbands, ribbons and flags.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley stated one of the things he wanted area residents to understand is that he, the city administration and their partners “approach addiction as a disease.”
“We want to be able to cure people,” he added. “So, those that are still here have an obligation to those who have lost their lives through that disease to make sure we promote this and make sure we provide a level of help and understanding and education about the disease of addiction.”
“Especially in communities of color, in the mid ’80s and late ’80s, crack cocaine and other drugs exploded in the communities like a bomb,” said Neeley. “It derailed many lives. Now, we know and understand that crack has been generational in our society. But, how do we break that cycle? Understanding it is a disease, and prescribing treatment versus jail sentencing is one thing that government needs to be engaged in. So, we’re here in the city of Flint providing a level of support and help. We’re giving them Narcan kits, fentanyl testing strips, to be able to get these people through the addiction portion so we can get them to the recovery portion of what we need to do inside this community. So, it’s very, very important to be able to treat this disease effectively. Our future counts on it.”
Neeley pointed out that the State of Michigan had sued large pharmaceutical companies, distributors and pharmacies for their role in the opioid crisis. As a result, Michigan is slated to receive an estimated $1.6 billion in opioid settlement funds through 2040.
“The City of Flint has about $4 million of that settlement agreement. So, we’re able to take those dollars to maximize it and multiply it with other general dollars we have in our system and other grant dollars to be able to get professionals in these spaces-whether it’s nurse practitioners or doctors to be able to help prescribe the treatment necessary to get people from addiction to recovery.”
Neeley said the City of Flint had provided funds for additional beds at Insight Recovery Center. Neeley said Neurosurgeon Dr. Jawad Shah, the center’s founder, approaches addiction as a neurological disease.
Denika Dalton, nurse practitioner, is present for weekly for Wellness Wednesdays from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., at the Clio Road Community Service Center, 4805 Clio Road.
“As we know, overdose does plagued the inner city communities often,” Dalton said. “Oftentimes, people do suffer from those social determinants of health. The last overdose I witnessed happened when I was still an ER nurse. The patient came in unaware of his surroundings, unaware of what was going on. We delivered Narcan and immediately the patient came back. We delivered more Narcan to get them back to their baseline. Within a couple of hours, they were able to go back home.”
Narcan is available at Flint City Hall and the Flint Fire Department, which also responds to callers with Narcan emergencies. At the MTA bus station downtown, there is kiosk provided by GCHC. Additionally, a realm of different agencies are providing it throughout the city.
The Genesee County Prevention Coalition is partnering with the City of Flint Office of Public Health to make the Overdose Awareness Day event possible.
