BRAD:
AIKEN COUNTY IS SEEING AN
ALARMING INCREASE IN THE
NUMBER OF DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS.
IT'S SPARKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHAT
MAY BE DRIVING THESE NUMBERS UP.
NEWS CHANNEL 6'S CHLOE SALSAMEDA
HAS THAT STORY.
CHLOE SALSAMEDA/REPORT ER:
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, WE'VE
HEARD A LOT ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
BUT NOT
A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE SUFFERING
FROM ADDICTION OR SUBSTANCE
ABUSE.
STAFF AT AIKEN CENTER PROVIDE
TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
EDUCATION TO PEOPLE SUFFERING
FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
IT COMES AT A TIME WHEN OVERDOSE
IN AIKEN COUNTY ARE HIGHER THAN
IN
YEAR'S PAST.
IN AIKEN COUNTY... LAW
ENFORCMENT AND HEALTH
OFFICIALS ARE SEEING THE NUMBER
OF OVERDOSE
DEATHS SKYROCKET.
"WE'RE LOOKING AT 50 OVERDOSE
DEATHS WITH 7 STILL PENDING FROM
JULY
TO AUGUST."
THIS MEANS 20-20 COULD HAVE
MORE DEATHS THAN IN 2018
TO AUGUST."
THIS MEANS 20-20 COULD HAVE
MORE DEATHS THAN IN 2018 AND
2019 COMBINED.
SO WHY NOW? WHY ARE THESE
NUMBERS RISING?
DARRYL ABLES/CORONER, AIKEN
COUNTY
THE MAIN DEATHS WE'RE SEEING ARE
FROM METH USE. METH COMBINED
WITH FENTANYL AND HEROINE ARE
CONTRIBUTING TO THESE HIGH
NUMBERS."
BUT THIS MAY NOT BE THE ONLY
CONTRIBUTING TO THESE HIGH
NUMBERS."
WITH FENTANYL AND HEROINE ARE
CONTRIBUTING TO THESE HIGH
NUMBERS."
BUT THIS MAY NOT BE THE ONLY
CAUSE.
LINDA BROWN IS THE OVERDOSE
PREVENTION COORDINATOR
AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA'=
DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOL AND
OTHER DRUG ABUSE SERVICES. SHE
TELLS ME THE PANDEMIC MAY ALSO
BE PLAYING A PART. LINDA
BROWN/DAODAS:
IT'S DUE IN PART TO THE ANXIETY
AND MORE SPECIFICALLY THE
ISOLATION, THE
ANXIETY AND FEARED CAUSED
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
AIKEN CENTER IS ONE OF THE
GROUPS THAT CONTINUES TO
PROVIDE TREATMENT AND SUPPORT TO
PEOPLE
SUFFERING FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
THEY TELL ME THEIR DOORS ARE
ALWAYS OPEN TO
ANYONE WHO NEEDS HELP.
MARGARET KEY / EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, AIKEN CENTER:
"CALL. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A
PATIENT HERE. ASK FOR A RECOVERY
COACH FROM THE AIKEN CENTER.
THEY CAN MEET YOU AT A PARK.
IT'S
ANONYMOUS AND CONFIDENTIAL."
CHLOE SALSAMEDA/REPORT ER: AIKEN
CENTER SAYS THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
BEGINS WITH JUST STARTING A
CONVERSATION. THEIR STAFF CAN
MEET WITH ANYONE WHO'S SEEKING
HELP. AND
THEY DON'T TURN ANYONE AWAY IF
THEY CAN'T AFFORD THEIR
SERVICES.
IN AIKEN...CHLOE SALSAMEDA WJBF
NEWS CHANNEL 6.
BRAD:
