Guilford County billboard is raising awareness of fentanyl overdose victims across North Carolina

Read the original article and watch the video on the WXII News 12 website.

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. โ€” A local nonprofit is working to raise awareness about the dangerous effects of fentanyl on communities across North Carolina.

Off Interstate 85 in Guilford County stands a billboard with the names and faces of fentanyl victims from across the state.

“This horrible, horrible thing is murdering our kids, our family, our friends,” said Race against Drugs founder Mike Loomis. “This billboard shows the state of North Carolina, Guilford County, and all 99 counties that fentanyl is rampant.”

Loomis says the billboard was designed with the help of the families of victims and survivors, many of whom gathered Sunday to reflect on how the drug has impacted their lives.

Fight fentanyl poisoning and learn at a local Race Against Drugs event

It has been reported that ten people in North Carolina die each day as a result of fentanyl poisoning and over 375 people in Davidson County have also died as a result since 2015. Recently Davidson County has been inundated with more deaths associated with fentanyl. It is saddening to hear the number of individuals that have lost their lives from fentanyl poisoning and the statistics are as shocking when the age range of those killed by fentanyl is exposed. Locally, there have been countless arrests made by law enforcement of persons selling the deadly drug within our own community. There have also been arrests made of parents and caretakers of children that are being poisoned after ingesting the drug, unaware. This dangerous drug effects everyone and has the potential of killing someone that each of us know and loves, if it hasnโ€™t already. It is time to end the excuses that too many live by, that it is not our problem, because it now is.

The General Assembly recognizes that deaths due to opioids are devastating families and communities across North Carolina. The General Assembly finds that the opioid crisis is overwhelming medical providers engaged in the lawful distribution of controlled substances and is straining prevention and treatment efforts. As a result of these related deaths, the General Assembly enacts this law to encourage effective intervention by the criminal justice system to hold illegal drug dealers accountable for criminal conduct that results in death.

The older version of the law stated that a person is guilty of death by distribution if all of the following requirements are met:

  • The person unlawfully sold at least one controlled substance such as an opioid cocaine or methamphetamine
  • The substance sold cause the death of the user
  • The person who sold the drug did not act with malice

The crime was a Class C felony, which usually results in a 5-12 year prison sentence with a maximum sentence of 19 years. 

The updated version of the law removes the malice requirement or proof that the drug was sold. Under the new law, perpetrators can be charged with a Class C felony if they simply distribute a drug such as methamphetamine, fentanyl or cocaine that leads to a victimโ€™s death. If the perpetrator did act with malice, the distributor could be charged with a Class B2 felony.

On August 10th from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Breeden Amphitheater in Lexington, A Raced Against Drugs (RAD) is hoping to educate the community and to counteract fentanyl use and distribution with their event entitled A Day of Recovery. In addition, the event organizers and directors of the non profit organization, Michael and Lorrie Loomis will increase awareness of the life-saving drug naloxone, which is a synthetic drug, similar to morphine, that blocks opiate receptors in the nervous system. Naloxone is used in the case of overdose.

RAD is a passion project for the Loomisโ€™ after their son, James Allen Loomis passed away from fentanyl poisoning on April, 22, 2021, making him โ€œForever 27.โ€

The RAD event is for everyone and will feature numerous experts offering kind advice for all that attend and live entertainment. There will also be food trucks, a 50/50 raffle and much more. For information please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1374857129674223. To contribute to the organization to reach the directors email raceagainstdrugs2024@gmail.com.

It is time to eliminate the threat of fentanyl in our community and across NC.

Read the original article on DavidsonLocal.com.

Davidson County families work to fight fentanyl together

DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) โ€” Eight people in North Carolina die every day, because of fentanyl, according to the North Carolina Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

On Saturday, people who have lost someone to the deadly drug met other families, public officials, health advocates and law enforcement in Davidson County to work together to fight the fentanyl crisis.

โ€œWe want to educate people on this,โ€ said Mike Loomis, a founder of Race Against Drugs.

Mike and his wife, Lorie started Race Against Drugs to be a support for families, after they lost their son, James. โ€œYou canโ€™t get over something like that, it complete changes your life and we donโ€™t want another parent to lose their child to drugs laced with fentanyl,โ€ Lorie said.

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