According to Trust for America’s Health, 2018, Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury deaths in the United States, at nearly 44,000 per year.  Trust for America's Health, 2018 also purports that these deaths have more than doubled in the past 14 years, and half of them are related to prescription drugs (22,000 per year).  Overdose deaths now exceed motor vehicle-related deaths in 36 states and Washington, D.C. And, in the past four years, drug overdose death rates have significantly increased in 26 states and Washington, D.C. and decreased in six. 

Kentucky is not immune to this dilemma. According to, the Office of Drug Policy, 2018, in 2015 Kentucky’s drug overdose ranked second worst in the Nation. Substance abuse, particularly the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs, is one of the most critical public health and safety issues facing Kentucky. Over the past ten years the morbidity rate to drug overdoses has increased to more than 1000 per year, Office of Drug Policy, 2018. These numbers contributes the instability of families, communities, social services and economic stability and growth. Fayette County, KY ranked the second highest in the state. Substance abuse contributed to 50% of all child abuse and neglect cases.

In response to these alarming statistics Kentucky State University’s, SKY Families Parenting Program has partnered with several service providers and community agencies to address substance abuse. One of which is the Southern Bluegrass Citizen Review Panel. The Citizens Review Panel of the Southern Bluegrass Region is one of three panels in Kentucky. It is a Federally Mandated Panel that looks at issues related to child protective services in the Southern Bluegrass Region Service Area (Fayette, Jessamine, Mercer, Boyle, Lincoln, Garrard, Madison, Estill, Powell, and Clark Counties). In December 2017 they partnered with Free Lex to host a Narcan Training. Twenty People were trained free of charge to administer overdose rescue medication, Narcan. NALOXONE is a narcotic blocker. It is used to treat narcotic drug overdose. It is used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid medicines. Each provider also received a free voice instructed, Naloxone Auto-injector Kit. Each kit is valued of approximately $350.00. This is a cost savings of $7000.00 for the agencies that particpated and invaluable for the community and potential lives that will be rescued.

Resources:

Office of Drug Control Policy. 2018. Overdose Fatality Report. Retrieved from https://odcp.ky.gov/Pages/Overdose-Fatality-Report.aspx.

Trusts for Americas Health, 2018. The Facts Hurt: A State-By-State Injury Prevention Policy Report. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org/reports/injuryprevention15/