August 2024 - Page 2 of 3 - Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina

Two Narcan vending machines in Durham used to combat drug overdoses

Durham has installed two Narcan vending machines as part of a broader effort to make treatment for drug overdoses more accessible.

Read the original article and watch the video on the WRAL TV5 News website.

Durham has installed two Narcan vending machines as part of a broader effort to make treatment for drug overdoses more accessible.

Two Narcan vending machines are now available to the public in Durham at:

Durham County Department of Public Health, 414 E. Main St.
Durham County Detention Center, 219 S. Mangum St.

Federal health leaders visited Durham on Wednesday to discuss the importance of making Naloxone, an over-the-counter drug sold under the name Narcan, more readily available. Among the visitors were Dr. Rahul Gupta, who oversees the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Narcan is a lifesaving drug that can help reverse overdoses. During Wednesday’s visit to the detention center, Gupta said free access to the treatment is a game changer.

“Every time this happens, it’s a leading effort for the country as an example for the nation, for the state to do that.,” Gupta said. “Are there enough across the country? No. This why I’m here today … to exemplify the leading efforts right here in Durham County.”

Gupta said overdoses in North Carolina have declined in recent years, citing a 14% decrease in overdoses in the state compared to a 5% national decrease.

The vending machine at the detention center will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while the vending machine at the Department of Public Health will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

People at risk for opioid overdose, including those struggling with opioid use disorder or taking high doses of opioid medications, are recommended to carry Narcan.

Durham County Department of Public Health, 414 E. Main St.

Durham County Detention Center, 219 S. Mangum St.

Mom who lost son to fentanyl poisoning urges I-SS Board to put Naloxone in district schoolsMom who lost son to fentanyl

Read the original article on the Iredell Free News website.

**Pictured are Robby Lemons and Stefanie Duck, holding up a picture of her son Timothy “TJ” Cothron Jr., who died in February 2022 from fentanyl poisoning.**

Stefanie Duck will always remember her son, Timothy “TJ” Cothron Jr., as hard working, kind and compassionate.

“He never met a stranger. He was always willing to help anyone who asked and brought light to everyone’s world he entered,” she said.

In February of 2022, about eight months after graduating from South Iredell High School, TJ died from fentanyl poisoning. He was 18.

His mother hopes that by sharing his story she can help prevent other young people from accidentally overdosing.

‘We dropped the ball’: Gaston County couple raises fentanyl awareness in memory of their son

Read the original article (with pictures) and watch the video on the Queen City News website.

GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Library shelves are full of all sorts of stories. Some have you on the edge of your seat, others make you laugh or answer pressing questions.

At the Dream Center in Gastonia, a photo book at the Austin Library is an introduction to a bigger story.

“We left one in the library so that students could see who Austin actually was. He was just like them, and that is what I like them to see,” said Tammy Chowdhury.

Her son Austin Chowdhury was well-loved and well-read.

“I feel like he was searching for answers in the world because he read all kinds of things,” Tammy told Queen City News.

The Austin Library is a tribute to the young man who died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at 24.

“It was just a total shock, it didn’t feel real,” Tammy says, taking a breath as she relives that dark day.

Barb Walsh. Say Fentanyl Out Loud Without Shame. Day of Recovery. Lexington, NC on 8/10/2024

Barb Walsh Executive Director of fentvic.org urges Davidson County School Board to install naloxone in ALL schools to save student lives from fentanyl. Race Against Drugs Day of Recovery event in Lexington, North Carolina on August 10, 2024.

PHOTOS: Sen. Thom Tillis leads a roundtable discussion in Wilmington on fentanyl epidemic

The Wilmington Star News published a gallery of photos Senator Thom Tills’ roundtable discussion on the fentanyl epidemic. Read the article and view the pictures on the Wilmington Star News website.

Download Article PDF

‘We’re losing ground,’ says Tillis at opioid roundtable in Wilmington

North Carolina ranks number 6 in total drug overdose deaths, with New Hanover County being three times the national average.

Senator Thom Thillis leads a roundtable discussion on the opioid crisis

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, R-NC, led a roundtable discussion with local elected officials and law enforcement in Wilmington Wednesday on the opioid crisis.

“Nearly a hundred thousand lives are lost every year to opioid, first among them fentanyl,” said Tillis. “We’ve got to figure out how to make headway. We’re losing ground.”

According to a 2020 report from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the majority of the fentanyl that crosses the southern border into the United States originates from China. The report highlights that China remains the primary source of fentanyl, fentanyl-related substances, and fentanyl precursors which are often smuggled through various routes before reaching the U.S.

Download Article PDF

Harnett man accused of poisoning 4 people

Alleged crimes leave 12 without a parent

Read the original article on the Daily Record website.

A Harnett County man with a history of law enforcement interaction for the past 20 years has been indicted by a grand jury for distributing fentanyl that killed four people on the morning of March 28, 2020.

The jury returned a true bill of indictment on Feb. 26 charging Gerard LaSalle McLean, 37, of 446 Raynor McLamb Road, Bunnlevel, with four counts each of death by distribution and aggravated death by distribution.

“There were two scenes,” explained Harnett County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Aaron Meredith. The first victim, Shannon Lynette McLean, was located at 112 Blake St. in Lillington at 12:49 a.m. Three other victims were found dead in a car located at 242 Nutgrass Road in Bunnlevel at 7:37 a.m.

“There were others who overdosed at both locations and survived,” Meredith shared.

Download article PDF

The Breaking Point: A Fentanyl Story

Prepare to be deeply moved by “The Breaking Point: A Fentanyl Story,” a poignant documentary created by Martyna Strickland, a gifted multimedia journalist and content creator. While attending the University of Arts London, Martyna, a childhood friend of Alex, crafted this powerful narrative with unmatched passion and integrity. This gripping story delves into the harrowing realities of pain and tragic loss caused by the escalating illicit fentanyl crisis, not just in the United States, but around the globe. Join us in raising awareness and understanding the profound impact of this devastating epidemic. Don’t miss this eye-opening and heart-wrenching tale that everyone needs to see.

Burgaw man sentenced for possessing counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl

Read the original article on the WECT6 News website.

BURGAW, N.C. (WECT) – A Burgaw man was sentenced to 16 and a half years in prison for possessing counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl to distribute them in Wilmington.

Timothy Mark Blackmon, 29, pled guilty on August 15, 2023, to the charges involving pills that were made to look like Percocet, Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

“Counterfeit pills laced with deadly fentanyl are made in makeshift labs with no quality control. They are driving American addiction and overdoses at a staggering rate,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Never take a pill that wasn’t prescribed by your doctor. It could be your last. This defendant hid fentanyl pills in a bag of M&Ms and stashed thousands of pills in air vents in his home. The DEA and Pender County Sheriff’s Office did incredible work getting these pills off the street and may have saved lives.”

Per court documents, officers in November of 2021 received information that Blackmon was distributing the pills and learned he would travel to California to purchase the pills, then ship them through the U.S. Postal Service back to Eastern North Carolina.

Officers located him on Nov. 18, 2021, at the San Diego Airport about to board a plane back to North Carolina. He had 5,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, more than $7000 in cash, and a USPS receipt for a package that had been shipped on November 16, 2021. The pills were concealed in a package that contained toys and candy, including some pills hidden in a bag of candy.

“On November 19, 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pender County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Blackmon’s residence during which law enforcement seized more than 11,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills concealed in air vents in Blackmon’s bedroom, over $87,000 in cash, and a small amount of cocaine. Flight records for Blackmon obtained by law enforcement also confirmed repeated trips to California and Arizona from March of 2021 through November of 2021. Information presented to the Court established that Blackmon would travel to California approximately once a month to purchase approximately 5,000-10,000 fentanyl pills from his source of supply and have them shipped back to North Carolina for further distribution. A DEA analysis of the pills found in the search confirmed the presence of fentanyl,” court documents stated.

Fentanyl deaths rising among NC children

Read the original article on the WUNC website. This article originally appeared on the NC Health News website.

LEXINGTON — On a recent Saturday, family members gathered in a circle at a church here to share stories of loved ones lost to fentanyl.

“Our whole world is turned upside down,” said Michelle, a Forsyth County mother who lost her 19-year-old son to fentanyl poisoning. She didn’t want to use her full name for this story or go into details about his death, as authorities are still investigating.

She doesn’t think her son knew he had taken fentanyl, which has become more common as drug dealers add it to everything from heroin to fake prescription medications.

Just a few grains of the highly potent opioid — about 2 milligrams, an amount that’s barely enough to cover the date on a penny — can be fatal. In 2021, fentanyl was involved in 83 percent of fatal medication or drug overdoses in the state, according to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

“If this can happen to him, this can happen to anybody,” said Michelle, who has made it her mission to help educate other parents about the dangers of fentanyl.

She’s not alone in her fight.

Barbara Walsh, whose Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina organized the recent Lexington meeting, is pushing for North Carolina to require that the opioid reversal drug naloxone be available in all schools. Her 24-year-old daughter died from fentanyl poisoning in 2021 after unknowingly drinking a bottle of water laced with the drug.