Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace was introduced as the guest presenter by Adele Harrington, Rotary District 7090 Area 16 Assistant Governor, at the Sept. 5 Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville meeting at The Parkview in Westfield. Sheriff Gerace’s informative presentation was titled “The Opioid Epidemic in Chautauqua County.”

Facts about, causes of and potential solutions for the ever-increasing misuse of opioids in our area was the topic of the program given by Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph A. Gerace to members of the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville on Sept. 5 at The Parkview in Westfield. His presentation was titled “The Opioid Epidemic in Chautauqua County.” The sponsoring Rotarian of this program was Adele Harrington, Rotary District 7090 Area 16 Assistant Governor.

Sheriff Gerace stated, “Drug deaths are rising faster than ever. Every county in the nation is being challenged by opioid usage. In 2016 there were 64,000 deaths attributed to drug overdose in the US. New York state has the fifth highest number of deaths from opioids, ranking in order behind California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. It is difficult to say the exact number of opioid-induced deaths in Chautauqua County due to the way the coroner system determines the causes of some deaths. Most likely our numbers are underestimated.”

Opioids, which are depressants, include heroin and prescription pain pills like oxycodone, morphine, codeine, methadone and hydrocodone (Vicodin). “Four in five heroin induced deaths are preceded by somebody at some time misusing prescription drugs,” Sheriff Gerace stated. He then explained some of the factors that have contributed to the opioid epidemic. Some of these include the rise in the use of legal opioid medications, the increase in thefts and sales of these drugs, and subsequent restrictions with the dispensing of opioids. That is, it is now not possible for a person to go from one pharmacy to another to get legal opioid prescriptions filled.

“Pharmaceutical companies have contributed to opioid addiction,” said Sheriff Gerace. “When their prescribed dosages of opioid medications did not solve pain issues in people, individuals began asking their physicians to prescribe more and also began looking for alternatives to their legal prescriptions, such as in the form of readily available heroin on the streets.”

According to Sheriff Gerace, the average street price of one Oxycontin pill is $60, while the street price range for a bindle of heroin is $4 to $12. Another contributing factor to the opioid crisis is the surge in use of methamphetamines, which are stimulant drugs. There are recipes for making them on the internet, and their use has been glorified in such television shows as “Breaking Bad.” Manmade painkillers, such as fentanyl, are much more potent and also have a greater profit margin for the drug dealers.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine and is much more potent. It is used to tranquilize elephants. As a prescription drug, it is typically used to treat patients with chronic pain. Now it is readily available on the streets and is contributing to people overdosing and dying. Fentanyl binds to the body’s opioid receptors in the brain, areas that control pain, emotions and the rate of breathing. When sold on the street, fentanyl may be mixed with heroin or cocaine, which greatly increases its potency.

Narcan (naloxone), which is a prescription medicine, is an opiate antidote. It can block the effects of opioids and reverse an overdose. County deputies now carry Narcan, which may be administered to individuals who have overdosed. Sheriff Gerace stated, “We can’t choose who we can help. We can’t let these people die. We now regularly use it to save people’s lives. It is our hope that with proper treatment, these people will recover from drug addiction.”

Sheriff Gerace then explained some of the ways in which his department and other officials are addressing the opioid crisis in our county. Gerace wants to create a 26-man unit in the county jail that will house drug addicts in one part of the facility. Also, the treatment of these inmates has been moved from medical services to health and human services. Physicians, nurse practitioners and mental health professionals will work with the addicts. Treatment programs will include group and individual therapy.

Also, by the first quarter of 2018, Sheriff Gerace wants to implement a Vivitrol program. Vivitrol, which is a prescription injectable medicine, is used to prevent relapse to opioid dependence after a person completes an opioid detoxification program. It is an agent that blocks an opioid high for 28 days. Also, it may be used to treat alcohol dependence after a person has successfully completed an alcohol treatment program. Sheriff Gerace said, “Statistics show that a recovering addict’s death rate is 12 times greater in the first week after the person is released from jail.”

“The opioid crisis is touching families from every socioeconomic group,” Sheriff Gerace noted. “What is the cause? Is it hopelessness, exposure to drugs or other factors? What do we do? It is a very complex issue. We cannot arrest our way out of the drug problem. The drug business is one of supply and demand.”

He stated, “To counter the opioid crisis, we need to use education, rehabilitation and every other method as much as possible. This includes educating legal drug dealers, the physicians with the prescription pads who are overprescribing opioids and who may not know about the high addiction rate that these various drugs cause.” The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville commends Sheriff Gerace and all of the public officials who are working to address the opioid epidemic in Chautauqua County.