How fentanyl traffickers are exploiting a U.S. trade law to kill Americans.
Read Reuters’ FENTANYL EXPRESS | Part 1 on Reuters.com.
Reuters: FENTANYL EXPRESS | PART 2
Category: Resource
Fentvic Meetup #15 CONCORD, Cabarrus County & Adjacent NC Counties
Fentvic Meetup #15 (open to the public)
Concord, Cabarus County & Adjacent NC Counties
Saturday, Ocotber 5, 2024, 2:00-4:00 pm
| Date | Saturday, Ocotber 5, 2024, 2:00-4:00 pm |
| Location | Les Myers Park Paul Shepherd Bldg 338 Lawndale Avenue SE Concord NC 28025 |
Contacts
- Barb Walsh, Executive Director, 919-614-3830
barb@fentvic.org. website: www.fentvic.org
Fentanyl Victims Network of NC (fentvic.org), 501(c)(3) EIN 88-3921380 - Local Coordinator: Beth Abernathy, 704-699-5291, abernathye@gmail.com
Chapter Director, Forgotten Victims of North Carolina
Purpose
- Prevention, Education, Naloxone Distribution, SAVE LIVES!
- NC Fentanyl Victim Families educational advocacy and networking event
- Spark public safety conversations within communities about the dangers of illicit fentanyl, particularly counterfeit pressed pills (Adderall, Xanax, Percocet), and access to life-saving naloxone in schools and the community
- Tell Fentanyl Victim Stories!
After fentanyl killed a Candler woman, sheriff’s investigators cleared the wrong man. Months later, an Iowa man was dead
Read the original article on the Asheville Watchdog website.
Authorities mistook man with same last name as supplier, but never followed up after their error
A Candler woman’s overdose death three years ago led investigators to a North Carolina dealer peddling illegal drugs through the mail to addicts nationwide.
But the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the wrong man and failed to pursue leads that could have put James Adam Earwood out of business, according to federal court testimony. Seven months later, in December 2021, an Iowa man died from fentanyl and heroin he bought from Earwood, who boasted of his “first confirmed kill” as evidence of his drugs’ potency.
Earwood of Rutherfordton had been identified as a likely supplier of the fentanyl that killed Rachel Scillitani, 29, in her Candler apartment in May 2021. But Buncombe sheriff’s detectives interviewed and cleared another man with the same last name, Special Agent Bryce Husak of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service testified at an April federal court hearing.
“It is your testimony today that they were actually investigating the wrong Adam Earwood?” a prosecutor asked.
“Correct,” Husak responded.
There was no follow-up investigation of the right Earwood or effort to determine his whereabouts around the time Scillitani bought the fentanyl and died, nor were records on a payment app she used to buy drugs subpoenaed, the agent testified.
Continue reading “After fentanyl killed a Candler woman, sheriff’s investigators cleared the wrong man. Months later, an Iowa man was dead”Deputies with sheriff’s office now serving as School Resource Officers in Beaufort County
Read the original article on the WNCT 9 On Your Side website.
BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — Students in Beaufort County Schools were welcomed back this week with help from the sheriff’s office.
Deputies served as School Resource Officers throughout schools in the district. They’re replacing a third party police force used for the past three years.
There are 13 deputies, meaning each school in the district gets one. On the first day of school, SROs were seen greeting students at car rider lines, giving them high fives and tying their shoes in the hallways.
Having the local sheriff’s office provide school security has been a work in progress since winter.
“To be honest, there’s nothing better than your local sheriff’s department being able to provide school resource officers into our schools each and every day,” Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Dr. Matthew Cheeseman said. “And through that, you’ll see them out at our athletic contests, extracurricular activities and so let’s celebrate them as they celebrate and protect our students and staff. Perfect.”
In order to become a SRO, a 40-hour SRO certification programs has to be completed. During that training, school security is practiced in addition to courses on ethics and leadership.
Each SRO is a sworn police officer and is armed. They’ll be making sure buildings are secure, alarm systems are working, doors are not propped and students and staff feel safe.
Naloxone distribution efforts help fight opioid crisis in NC
Watch the video and read the article on the WRAL TV5 News website.
Naloxone is now widely carried by first responders and police. Distribution efforts have also helped make the medication available to community partners.
Naloxone has quickly become a central part of harm reduction efforts nationally and within North Carolina.
The medication comes in two main forms: an injection and nasal spray. Both work to save lives by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose.
Naloxone is now widely carried by first responders and police. Distribution efforts have also helped make the medication available to community partners.
“Harm reduction is the first line of defense we have. It is the on the ground, in the community response. It is by people with lived experience for people with lived experience,” shared Elyse Powell, executive director of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition.
Efforts to bring naloxone into school systems are also expanding, including in Wake County Schools. School officials tell WRAL News training efforts are underway to prepare for the distribution of the medication to schools this year.
Continue reading “Naloxone distribution efforts help fight opioid crisis in NC”Wake County to take fight against opioid addiction and overdoses to the streets
Read the original article on the News & Observer website (may be behind a pay wall).
Lindsey Humphreys has been recovering from opioid addiction for the last five years, she said.
She’s known people in Wake County who have died from opioids because they didn’t have access to naloxone, a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdose.
“I decided to be part of the solution and just started to distribute this,” she said. “I have been doing it for the last couple of years in the memory of some of my friends who passed.”
Humphreys is the executive director of Illuminate NC, an organization that helps distribute naloxone in Wake and Vance counties. Illuminate distributes about 300 naloxone units a month, she said.
Continue reading “Wake County to take fight against opioid addiction and overdoses to the streets”Facing Fentanyl National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day August 21
August 21st marks National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day™, a solemn occasion dedicated to honoring the memory of those who have fallen victim to illicit fentanyl poisoning. It serves as a poignant reminder of the profound devastation inflicted upon countless families and friends affected by this perilous drug. This day stands as a unified effort among fentanyl awareness organizations, impacted families, and individuals sharing their lived experiences to collectively warn and inform our youth, the public, and the unsuspecting.
This nationwide initiative urges all Americans to unite in the cause. Federal, state, and local agencies are called to participate actively, contributing to the vital mission of saving lives through heightened prevention and awareness efforts. Hosting community events dedicated to National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day and disseminating resources on fentanyl and other hazardous substances can prove instrumental in safeguarding lives.
The gravity of the situation cannot be overstated. Fentanyl represents the gravest drug threat our nation has ever faced, propagated by transnational criminals. Alarmingly, an American succumbs to a drug-related death every five minutes, with children under 14 bearing a disproportionate burden of fatalities from fentanyl poisoning. Exploiting social media platforms, distributors are making access to dangerous drugs alarmingly easy for our youth. Thus, comprehensive prevention education is imperative to stem the tide of this crisis.
It is incumbent upon us all to be well-informed about the perils of illicit fentanyl. By collectively spreading awareness about its dangers, we can shield families from the anguish of fentanyl-related tragedies. Let us join forces to educate, advocate, and protect our communities, fostering a culture of health, productivity, and drug-free living.
Think buying fake products is harmless? Think again.
The National Crime Prevention Council put out this video and announcement on National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The video is part of the NCPC “Go For Real Campaign”.
Today, on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, the nation unites to honor the memory of loved ones poisoned to death by this drug. This day also serves as an opportunity to elevate this issue. Let’s push for action to stop another family from losing a loved one to this crisis.
The National Crime Prevention Council is resolved to keep fighting fentanyl. Public awareness is always the first step. That’s why McGruff will continue to educate with the PSA you see here.
Despite the progress made in advocating for public policy changes, holding social media companies accountable, and reducing the supply and demand of illicit drug distribution channels—we have to do more.
This crisis remains a persistent threat, and our commitment to addressing it must be equally steadfast. This shouldn’t be a focus for just today, but every day.
Fentanyl Is Killing Us
Experimenting with pills has never been deadlier because the drug supply has never been deadlier. James Fishback, founder of NEO: The New Drug Talk, explains what you need to know.
In the ugly history of illicit drugs, no drug is more deadly than fentanyl.
Not cocaine.
Not meth.
Not heroin.
Every day, fentanyl kills over 200 Americans; rich, poor, black, white, old, young. Especially young.
Fentanyl is a cheap synthetic opioid that is incredibly dangerous for two reasons:
- It’s FIFTY TIMES stronger than heroin. Just a sugar packet’s worth of fentanyl would kill over 500 people.
- Fentanyl is used to create counterfeit versions of popular prescription drugs. These fake pills look identical to the real ones—Xanax, Adderall, Oxycontin, Percocet, and others. You can’t see, smell, or taste the difference. Even agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA, can’t tell the difference between the real pill and the counterfeit one.
Fentanyl isn’t just deadly poison. It’s deadly poison in disguise, and most kids who die from it had no idea they were even taking it.
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.