33 overdose deaths recorded in county this year
Lori Comstock
By the end of this year in Sussex County, the number of overdose deaths due to opioid misuse is expected to be at, or possibly over, the number recorded in 2017, according to data from the state Office of the Attorney General.
In 2017, 38 county residents lost their lives to suspected opioid overdoses. This year, as of last Thursday afternoon, that number is at 33.
This month marks the third anniversary county leaders and stakeholders came together to address the escalating opioid epidemic in Sussex County, leading to the July 2016 launch of the Sussex County Community Law Enforcement Addiction Recovery program, or C.L.E.A.R.
For the first time, new data and statistics were included in the C.L.E.A.R. program's second annual report, which was presented last week during a quarterly meeting.
According to the report, in 2017, law enforcement and emergency medical personnel administered Narcan 151 times in Sussex County, but new data breaks down the uses in each of the 24 municipalities.
Police officers deployed Narcan 25 times in Newton in 2017, doubling the number of administrations in 2016. In Vernon, officers used Narcan 19 times in 2017, also a number that has doubled from 2016, according to data collected by the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office and NJCARES.gov, the official website of the Office of the New Jersey coordinator of addiction response and enforcement strategies.
Some municipalities saw no Narcan uses one or both years or the same amount both years, all important data that Newton Police Chief Mike Richards said helps determine what community needs to have more outreach.
"We need to be looking at these numbers and where we need to focus our efforts," he said.
Of the 38 county residents who died in 2017 due to an overdose of heroin, prescription medications or other drugs, Vernon had the highest number, losing 10 residents.
Hopatcong had five residents die due to opioid overdoses in 2017, as did Sparta and Franklin.
Richards said the data helped discern that lab submissions show an increase in Fentanyl, an opioid that has proven to be very deadly.
"Despite Narcan and programs like C.L.E.A.R., deaths are stable because heroin and opioids are just so much more deadly than they were just a few years ago," Richards said.
Expanding program, reaching others
Becky Carlson, executive director of the Center for Prevention and Counseling, is focused on engaging the community by promoting the C.L.E.A.R. program through various means, but needs the public's help to get there.
"Very few people know the name, but we see the need and we have this great program that changes lives," she said.
Carlson gave an example of a homeless woman who walked into a police department in the county last November and sought help from the C.L.E.A.R. program.
The woman, who had lost custody of her child, worked hard in the program, and now, a year later, she has moved into her first apartment and has custody of her child again, Carlson said.
"That is what it is all about," she said. "In a year's time, this woman walked in and asked for help and now her life is changed."
The highlight of the second year of the C.L.E.A.R. program, Carlson said, is the expansion of law enforcement partners in the county with an additional eight police departments joining as intake participants.
Sussex County has 11 municipal police departments and 13 municipalities covered by the New Jersey State Police. State Police have also assisted with drop-in centers in Montague and Sussex, Carlson said, and more locations are being considered for those who may not feel comfortable going to a police station.
Many organizations have stepped up to help, Carlson said, including TJ's Pizzeria in Franklin and Sussex which has raised funds through "dough-raisers" and cut the C.L.E.A.R. program a check for $300 last week.
Students at Sussex County Technical School created posters and window clings, which can be found at nearly 2,000 local establishments, and graphic art students at Sussex County Community College have partnered with C.L.E.A.R. to create informational cards that will be distributed to local businesses and displayed near cash registers, Carlson said.
During this year's German Christmas Market in Sparta, C.L.E.A.R. will be partnering with Steve Scro, owner of The Mohawk House, and Cerbo's Nursery in Hampton to sell Christmas trees.
"We will be raising awareness and at the same time raising money," Richards said.
Above all, Carlson and Richards agree that in order to support people dealing with opioid addiction, the C.L.E.A.R. program needs support from the community.
As the program ventures into another year, Richards and Carlson encourage the public to consider donating funds to the program, which aims at providing those struggling with drug addiction medical intervention, access to treatment and recovery support.
"We could really use the help," Richards said. "I think sometimes people feel like there is no way out, but the C.L.E.A.R. program works and we want people to know that."
For more information about the Sussex County C.L.E.A.R. program or to consider donating, visit www.clearprogram.org or call 1-844-SC-CLEAR.
Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone:973-383-1194.