Trout Lake talks opioids

The presentation included a brief training on naloxone, an opioid overdose reversing agent better known as Narcan.

James Tuning, a substance use disorder professional with Klickitat Valley Health (KVH) in Goldendale, said KVH saw nine overdoses, both accidental and intentional, in 2022. The statistics are skewed, however, and do not account for all overdoses that occur in the county, he said.

“There’s a lot more out there that are not being recorded,” he said, which could be due to a fear of calling 911. Good Samaritan laws in Washington protect a 911 caller from prosecution on drug possession charges, and protects 911 callers under 21 from minor in possession charges if the call relates to a possible alcohol poisoning case.

Tuning said drug users and those involved in the criminal justice system have a negative stigma cast against them. Those involved in those situations deserve accountability, he said, but the stigma impacts their hopefulness to being treated for substance abuse.

“Part of our job is to actually help people,” he said. “When we help these people that are impacted by substances and metal health, it actually is a reduction in cost of services.”

Fentanyl is growing in popularity among substance users. Known by users as “sweet tarts” or “blues,” these drugs warrant concern not just because they are opiates, but especially because this drug is 100 times more potent than heroin, officials said.

Fentanyl could also be laced with drugs that Narcan has no effect against.

Kristi Ridgeway, clinical manager with the Klickitat County Department of Health, said the county has received multiple doses of Narcan which were also distributed to school nurses. She said anyone who requests a dosage of Narcan can have one.

KVH also recently installed a Narcan vending machine in the hospital lobby to bring awareness to the public availability of this life-saving medication.

Naloxone is easy to administer. Videos online demonstrate how to use the medication.

It is effective on heroin, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, methadone, hydrocodone, codeine and fentanyl.

Signs of an overdose are: Snoring or gurgling sounds, slowed or stopped breathing; cold, clammy hands; and discolored lips or fingernails.

The first step is to call 911, then administer naloxone. It is harmless to administer if the person is not overdosing on opioids.

Klickitat County Undersheriff Carmen Knopes said the best way to stop drug addiction is to “educate your young people.”

She watched friends destroy their own lives with opioids. They run across all levels of employment and education, she said.

Many of them end up in jail, which she said is referred to as the “only mental hospital in Klickitat County.”

The jail offers treatment, provided by Tuning, who comes in frequently to educate users.

But recent changes in state law, including the Blake decision, now disallows law enforcement from arresting people on drug possession. She said this has brought drug users back on the street and exposed youths to drugs. When they can’t find the cash for their fix, they resort to break-ins and thefts to fund their addiction, she said.

“We can’t send them to treatment unless they are ready to change,” she said.

She warned that the drugs are being dressed up as candy and being laced onto money, which can be ingested unexpectedly if you touch the cash and then touch the exposed fingers to your mouth or eyes.

Will Harryman, a paramedic with Klickitat County Emergency Medical Services District 1, said it is crucial that 911 be called immediately as soon as an overdose is suspected. If someone is nervous that law enforcement arrives with paramedics, he ensured that law enforcement is around for the safety of paramedics. When naloxone is administered, a person’s reaction can be unpredictable.

They can also lapse back to an impaired state after some time following a naloxone administration because of the half-lives involved with the drugs they’ve taken.

He reiterated that it is vital that 911 be called immediately as soon as an overdose is suspected.

“EMS is there for the rescue,” he said. “Somewhere we got to break the cycle, but we can’t make people do things they don’t want to do.”

Abby Whalin from Washington Gorge Action Programs told the audience that the agency offers connections to resources for support. “We meet people where they’re at,” she said. “If you have any questions, or if you have a community member that you want to make sure they’re connected to resources, contact someone at WAGAP is a great way to help.”

Recovery Cafe is one resource available for community members to take control of their life from addiction. Barbara Gerrior, a master social worker from the Recovery Cafe, based in Clark County, said a pop-up support system has begun in Goldendale one-day per week.

The Recovery Cafe empowers people through an ever-growing community of resources, real-time encouragement, and loving, compassion-driven accountability.

Gerrior said the Recovery Cafe model is unique in that people who want to be in recovery are provided a connection to the community. “We provide that through peers, through accepting where they’re at, and letting them make decisions for themselves, and we walk through those decisions with them so that they learn,” she said.

Everyone who works for Recovery Cafe “has lived experience,” she said. “We’re here to help the people that want it, that wants to have a community of their own that they’re connected to.”

They are currently working to open a pop-up Cafe in White Salmon. She added that if you have a chance to have naloxone in your possession, to please do so. It could save a life.