ROSS CO., OH (WCMH) – Ross County had 15 heroin overdoses just since last Thursday, 6 of which were over the Labor Day weekend.
Tests are still being conducted on the drugs to see if this heroin was laced with other ingredients.
Many of those working to stem the local epidemic said there is hope for the community. A group made up of first responders and medical providers meet each Wednesday morning and list how many overdoses occurred in the county during the week and what the response will be. The group is called PORT, for Post Overdose Response Team. The group goes to every home in the county with an overdose and/or death from heroin.
Teri Minney, coordinator with the Heroin Partnership Project, said the idea is to quickly respond and show families and individuals that there is help available, and that using heroin does not just end in an arrest or death.
Sierra Armstrong and her boyfriend Austin Selby are both recovering heroin addicts.
“It is the worst addiction you could ever find and it only grows when you are on it,” said Armstrong. She and Selby have been clean for 17 months and graduated from group therapy on Wednesday.
“There is hope and there is help out there and you can seriously experience a lot of things you could never dream of,” said Selby.
The PORT team lets families and individuals know they aren’t alone with heroin overdoses. The group, sponsored by a grant, acknowledges a lot of what they are learning is through trial and error.
“Families are at a complete loss when dealing with addict,” Minney said.
She said a medical provider goes along with each team during home visits to let folks know where and how to detox and get help on the road to recovering from heroin.
Minney said time is of an essence.
“We can’t wait one more day,” she said. “When you are dealing with folks in addiction, especially with heroin that is so potent.”
She said they monitor other communities so they are not taken by surprise. In Hamilton County, 13 people have died from suspected carfentanil-laced heroin. Minney said heroin overdoses were down 19 percent in the county before the last 15 overdoses.
Armstrong said she and Selby are proof that becoming a recovering addict is possible, but she reminds people that “once an addict, always an addict.” She said there is plenty of help available to those who choose to accept it.
“You can really get support in Chillicothe,” she said. “A lot of people just think it is a hell-hole, that you can’t, but if you want support… like, he (Selby) was looking up the meetings. There are 29 meetings every week.”
You can get a list of places that are willing to help addicts and their families by going to http://www.heroinpartnershipproject.com/ or www.therecoverycouncil.org
