Dougherty County Emergency Officials Hold Opioid Reenactment Event
DOCO emergency officials hold Opioid reenactment event
ALBANY, GA – At the Albany Civic Center where through those doors earlier this morning, Dougherty County EMS and other law enforcement officials hosted an Opioid Reenactment Event educating high school students on the dangerous effects of Opioid use.
“I want to let them know that drugs can mess their career up, not just their career but their life. Getting involved with drugs, with the wrong crowd, so we trying to encourage them to say no to drugs,” said Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler.
In this reenactment, multiple students were chosen to roll play in different skits, displaying many different situations on how students could come in contact with Opioids.
“Ant takes a bite of laced rainbow candy, without knowing, he passes out and stops breathing…”
The real life events that follow and the heartbreaking consequences that unfortunately, is a reality for many families.
“That’s one of the reasons we use the body bags and the casket. To let kids know this is real. This is nothing to play with…it’s serious. That it could be your friend, it could be your parent or your loved one that can be put in a body bag. So, we want to let them know this is nothing to play with, so take it seriously,” said Fowler.
Dr. James Black said events like these it is good for students to see the full events from the original intake to EMS, police and coroner response, to parent reactions, news stories, and even an actual funeral are crucial. Because in his role, as an emergency medicine physician, Opioids are becoming much more common in young people.
“We see over the course of years the ages for people coming in with Opioid overdoses is getting younger and younger. It’s not an adult disease anymore,” said Dr. Black.
Black explains people are consistently seeking new discrete ways to deal, sell, and use drugs…making unintentional overdoses just as common as intentional ones.
“Some are intending to experiment; others are not intending to experiment. And they’re being told this medication is safe or this candy is safe; So people are having unintentional overdoses. Also, we’re seeing infants get into prescription medication. Just recently the FDA is talking about Fentanyl being laced with tranquilizers for large animals. So, we’re talking about medications that are used to put 2,000 lb. animals to sleep, imagine what it will do to a 200 lb. human,” said Dr. Black.
Therefore, Dr. Black says its crucial for parents to do their part in protecting their children.
“The biggest thing we can do is number one educate ourselves… but have open and frank conversation with the dangers of and the potential effects so that they have a clear perspective that it’s not all fun and games, and to dispel the notion that it’s a safe activity,” said Dr. Black.
Dr. Black and Coroner Fowler wanted to pinpoint that if you have any medications in your home, do not take the chance.
Lock them up and put them in an area that’s out of reach of young children and teenagers.
If you or your child is struggling with addiction, do not be embarrassed. there are resources out there, be sure to do research in your local area to get help.
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