Latest news with #WakeUpCarolina
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Naloxone boxes installed across Berkeley County to combat rising overdose deaths
MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCBD) – A new initiative to combat the opioid crisis is now underway in Berkeley County, where public access boxes containing Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, are being installed in high-traffic community spaces. The boxes, known as 'Nalox Boxes,' offer free, anonymous, 24/7 access to the life-saving medication, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose within seconds. They're being installed outside churches, fire stations, community centers, and local businesses throughout the county. 'This sends a powerful message,' said Dean Stephens, Director of Development at WakeUp Carolina. 'There's no stigma attached to it. We're all part of this community. We're all in this fight.' The program is a collaboration through the Berkeley County Overdose Fatality Review Board, which includes EMS, law enforcement, public health agencies, and recovery nonprofits. So far in 2025, 31 people have died from drug overdoses in Berkeley County, 17 involving fentanyl, according to the Berkeley County Coroner's Office. That's a more than 21% increase compared to the same period in 2024. 'My goal is to work less in these situations,' said Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell. 'We want to stop the deaths and provide support to the families who go through this tragic situation.' The boxes are maintained by partnering agencies who will routinely restock and monitor them. WakeUp Carolina and the Ernest E. Kennedy Center are among several community distributors responsible for providing free naloxone and overdose education. 'We believe this initiative is just one small step toward addressing the opioid epidemic,' said Rihanna Thomas, a clinical counselor at the Ernest E. Kennedy Center. 'By expanding access to Narcan, we believe we can save lives.' County leaders say they plan to install at least 25 Nalox Boxes by the end of summer, with hopes of expanding the program even further. The ultimate goal is to have one within walking or biking distance for every home in Berkeley County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SCDPH report shows increase in overdose deaths in the Lowcountry
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The South Carolina Department of Public Health released its latest report on overdose deaths. Overall, the state saw a record decline of overdose deaths since 2012, but multiple Lowcountry counties saw an increase of nearly 30%. Those include Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties between 2022 and 2023. Officials said the higher numbers come from a variety of reasons, with around 70% of overdose deaths caused by from fentanyl. 'What we do know is that this is in every county, every state and every part of the country – is that fentanyl is in every substance,' Nanci Steadman Shipman, founder and executive director of WakeUp Carolina, said. 'Fentanyl is an opioid and it does not discriminate. The only to reverse that from crack, cocaine, molly, MDMA, is Narcan.' Officials said the rise of reporting these deaths added to their findings. However, DPH and local organizations like WakeUp Carolina are continuing to offer harm reduction resources and grief counseling, in efforts to bring these numbers down. 'We are all kind of collaborating together to see what areas have what types of resources, and we evaluate what area has higher overdose rates versus how much Naloxone is in the area,' Julia Horan, substance use prevention unit director of SCDPH, said. 'So, we use those stats to do targeted outreach to make sure we are bringing those numbers down.' State and local agencies cited that law enforcement agencies have been helpful, as they are providing assistance and critical resources like Naloxone, an overdose reversal drug. Officials said though prevention is important, having the materials readily available is equally important. 'We really want to stress having fentanyl testing strips and testing any drugs you may come across. Test every time because it may not be an equal amount in the drug supply. So, we remind people test every time that they use,' Horan said. Local health departments in the Lowcountry are providing free opioid overdose kits with Naloxone and testing strips. They can be found at county clinics or departments. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Online database in Charleston County provides real-time data on opioid overdoses
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A new online dashboard from The Charleston Center is designed to help in the fight against opioid overdoses. 'We wanted to give the community real-time data on the opioid overdoses that are happening in Charleston County,' explained Kelley Grobmyer, program manager for The Charleston Center. 'The first thing you might notice on the overview on the first page is that every eight hours, on average, an overdose occurs.' That means three overdoses occur per day in Charleston County alone. The dashboard shows 174 suspected overdose deaths happened in the county last year – that's basically a plane full of people. 'If we had a plane crashing full of people once a year in Charleston County, people would be very concerned,' said Grobmyer. This new dashboard also provides locations where people can pick up free Narcan. Narcan can save lives. You can see from the graphs that those who were treated with Narcan had about a 90% survival rate from their overdose compared to those who did not receive Narcan. 'I think the interesting thing about Narcan is it's a prevention too, yes. But it doesn't mean that because you have it, you're in use or your families are in use. We've had examples where people who have gone to our training just carry it with them. And we had a woman who saved a man's life at a gas station last year, and she called to thank us because she received that Narcan at one of our trainings,' said Dean Stephens with Wake Up Carolina. 'Our goal is that the citizens, everybody in the general public, are more aware that this is occurring and that they reach out for resources,' said Grobmyer. You can view the online dashboard by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
