The last in a series of town hall meetings to address heroin addiction will take place on April 7 in Mason County.
The April 7 town hall meeting wraps up six community meetings hosted in Bracken, Fleming, Lewis, Mason and Robertson counties.
Fleming County will host a meeting Monday, March 31 at the Fleming-Mason RECC auditorium from 6 - 8 p.m.
Sponsored by the Buffalo Trace Agency for Substance Abuse Policy and coordinated by the Regional Prevention Center of Comprehend Inc, the meetings have drawn larger than anticipated crowds, said Lauren Penrose with Comprehend.
The focus of the meetings is to inform citizens about heroin, how communities are combating the problem and it devastating effects on individuals and families.
Guest speakers include family members who have lost a loved one to addiction or is currently addicted, medical and law enforcement officials and treatment providers.
In February, Van Ingram, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, and former Maysville chief of police was the keynote speaker during a Maysville-Mason County Chamber of Commerce on the topic of heroin and prescription drug addiction.
The numbers presented by Ingram highlighted the growing problem, not just in the Buffalo Trace and Appalachian regions, but across the state.
Overdose statistics have skyrocketed in Kentucky since 2000; emergency room visits related to heroin overdoses spiked in 2012; and there were 876 overdose deaths reported in Kentucky in 2013, with 267, or 30 percent, with heroin reported in the toxicology reports.
Jefferson, Fayette, Kenton, Boone, Campbell and Franklin counties lead the way with heroin overdose deaths, Ingram said.
Penrose said feedback indicates the meetings are being held at a crucial time.
"We're not in as bad shape as northern Kentucky, but everyone agrees we are headed there," said Penrose.
Penrose said the BTASAP board recognizes the meetings alone are not the answer, but more of a springboard for other action(s) needed to address the problem and to keep momentum of community awareness going.
The Mason County Town Hall meeting is being held at the Mason County Extension Office on U.S. 68 from 6 - 8 p.m., Monday, April 7. A light meal will be provided and door prizes given away.
For more information contact Regional Prevention Center of Comprehend Inc. at 606-759-7799.
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