03-07-2025
Wichita Falls joins global efforts, raises awareness on World Drug Day
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — June 26 honors the awareness of International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking.
It's a day to recognize the toll of addiction and the ongoing fight against drug abuse around the world, but for Wichita Falls, the crisis isn't just international—it's right here at home.
Wichita Falls has been hit hard by numerous accidental overdoses over the past decade.. with easier access to controlled substances it leaves a much bigger impact on the community.
In 2022 alone, three young residents, including a 13-year-old, died from fentanyl overdoses within 28 hours of one another. Methamphetamine is another popular drug that continues to dominate the street drug market in Wichita Falls, fueling property crimes, gang violence, and long-term addiction.
Brad Fisk, director of substance abuse services for Helen Farabee, said drugs and the struggle with addiction are not an uncommon occurrence here at home.
'I think drug addiction impacts this community in so many different ways, all the way from, you know, increased hospitalizations, increased people going into emergency rooms, increased overdoses, especially with the fentanyl crisis,' Fisk said. 'We're seeing more and more, accidental overdoses and more and more of those being needing to be reversed.'
Fisk emphasizes that addiction is a disease and must be treated with professional help.
'You know, it's probably drug abuse that is connected to so much of our family problems, that we have a lot of domestic issues that come up are alcohol or drug related, so many people that enter into mental health hospitals, at least.'
While accepting help can be difficult for some, recovering addict Breezie Freeman proves that it's never too late to get sober. Her unhappiness with her own lifestyle choices pushed her to seek the help she needed.
'First, I would just let them know that they are loved and to not go down that path, that's the path that they don't want to go down on,' said Freeman. 'I know it might numb the pain just for that little bit, but that's all it's going to do, you're going to want more and more.'
Seeking help and accepting those resources has only been positive in her recovery. Freeman will graduate from the 13-month program on July 7.
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