HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The country’s acting drug czar spoke to community leaders in Huntington on Tuesday about efforts underway to combat the opioid epidemic.
Jim Carroll, the acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, meet with emergency personnel to learn about facilities and programs aimed at opioid misuse to better understand the progress underway in Huntington.
According to Carroll, the visit stems from a discussion last month with Mayor Steve Williams.
“We were talking about all the great things happening in Huntington,” Carroll said. “You can hear about things, but until you really come to Huntington and meet the people and go into the facilities, you really need to do that and experience it firsthand to really understand how Huntington is turning the court and making such great strides.”
Carroll described Huntington as “unique” in regards to addressing the opioid crisis, noting the cooperation between multiple parts of the city’s government, including law enforcement, the court system and Marshall University.
“When you look at the community response and you look at the pastors involved and the nurses and law enforcement, and you see them working together trying to save lives, it’s just been phenomenal to see it in person,” he said. “It really has become a model for cities across the United States.”
One group that caught Carroll’s attention is the Quick Response Team, which connects medical professionals to individuals who have overdosed regarding an addiction treatment plan.
“This is saving our neighbors, our family, our friends. It’s everyone coming together to say, ‘We are going to help you,'” he noted. “They are doing exactly what we are supposed to do as fellow human beings.”
There has been a 41 percent decline in overdoses in Cabell County through the first nine months of this year.
“You think about the number of lives being saved. I had to see it firsthand,” Carroll said.
Carroll will also be in Huntington on Wednesday to speak to leaders of faith-based initiatives.