- Suspected overdose cases in Wakulla County increased a little over 800 percent from 2022 to 2023.
- Groups in Wakulla County are working to prevent substance abuse in this neighborhood.
- Watch the video to find out how they're working to make it happen.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Groups in Wakulla County are working to prevent substance abuse in this neighborhood.
"I'm going to be doing this and recovering in recovery for the rest of my life."
I’m Kenzie Krueger in Crawfordville I spoke with some of those groups about their efforts to stop the cycle.
Stacey Bian is a recovered addict who now supports others battling addiction at DISC in Crawfordville.
DISC gives help to anyone dealing with substance abuse.
“It helped me recover from my addiction having somebody there that had been through it and also came out of the other side, gave me hope that with some work and the right tools that I could get better. And it worked.”
She’s been sober for almost 6 years and hopes she can help prevent cycles of addiction in her community.
“It’s been a problem in this area for a long time I think that with the fentanyl epidemic has really made our community open our eyes and accept what’s going on.”
DISC shared numbers with me that the Wakulla County Health Department reported an exponential rise in suspected overdose cases. In 2023, there were 253 suspected overdoses in Wakulla County and 28 cases in 2022.
That's a little over a 800 percent increase.
This increase in overdose cases in just one year shows why people like Bian say they are working to spread awareness in Wakulla County and beyond.
“It’s incredibly scary what’s going on.”
I asked the Wakulla County Sheriffs Office what they offer to people in need of support.
“The court system does try to give help when it can be offered to them and then inside of our system we have a full time position here that’s specially designed to make sure people are getting the help they need.”
Lieutenant Jeff Yarbrough says they work with organizations and offer resource groups to support those who need it to stop the pattern from repeating.
“If someone breaks the law they have to be held responsible for those things, but as much as possible the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Miller want to offer help to people because if someone breaking the law because of a substance abuse issue we want to stop that cycle that continues and we want to give those people help and restore everything back to where it could be.”
Bian wants her community to know resources are here for anyone who is struggling.
“Reach out for that help because we’re here for you.”
Disc has an open door policy meaning anyone in need of help will be welcomed. They’ve also been placing narcan stations around the county and surrounding areas.
