LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington's Substance Abuse Intervention Program will update council members on its progress over the past year on Tuesday.
The program is a resource for people looking for information about substance use addiction and treatment services.
Coordinator Carmen Combs Marks plans to highlight the work they were able to do to train and distribute naloxone in non-traditional ways, like in barbershops, convenience stores, gas stations, and coffee shops.
"We're just going to talk about all the good work we're doing in terms of education and outreach in our community," said Combs Marks.
A positive they also plan to highlight is the decrease in fatal overdoses in the county from 2022. 15% fewer people died, yet 177 people still lost their lives to an overdose.
It's something Combs Marks says naloxone distribution and training has helped to address. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, can reverse the effects of an overdose and can be used by anyone.
As part of their intervention efforts, they distributed $500 per person in need of help to continue treatment or enter a recovery facility through the Recovery Supportive Living Assistance program.
The city is also working with partners on becoming a "Recovery Ready" community, which intends to make it easier for the public to access information. It's a state certification that would create a centralized way to track programs and resources across Lexington.
"The more we do, the more people will know the resources and be able to make those connections necessary whether it's for their own personal use or family or friend," said Combs Marks.
On Tuesday, council members will have the opportunity to ask questions about specific programs or community issues.
Their next free community training will be at the Alano Club on May 21. It will teach sober living homes about the NARR certification requirement, which sets a standard for quality recovery housing nationwide.
The program is also continuing to host town halls and hear presentations about how the city should spend the opioid settlement dollars.
"I think that we're right on target for where we are needing to be," said Combs Marks.
Fayette County ranks 12th among Kentucky's 120 counties in terms of the impact of the opioid crisis.
Drug overdose remains the number one cause of death among people ages 18-44 in the country. The number of African Americans impacted increased by 46%, according to data collected by the county health department.
