LETTER TO THE EDITOR: County among top 10 in state for fatal overdoses; here’s how to change that

You may have seen the report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on the response to the opioid crises, listing Livingston County as one of the top 10 counties in the state for fatal overdoses. Even more shocking that the statistic has grown over 9 times in the past 20 years.

How do we reverse this trend?  It is the fact that it starts by acknowledging there is a problem, reducing the stigma associated with addiction and treatment, and educating the community of the resources available for prevention and recovery.

One of our “Partners in Prevention” is the Livingston County Community Alliance (LCCA), which was most notably recently named one of the top 10 coalitions in the nation by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA).

To name just a few of the services the LCCA provides:

• Produce educational programs and videos to raise awareness of underage drinking, prescription medication misuse and drug abuse.

• Provide education to retailers on how to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors.

• Train bartenders how to serve customers responsibly.

• Provide the Big Red Barrel Project to the community (and the state), to get unused medications out of the home and safely dispose of them.

• Work with the local schools to provide substance abuse educational information.

• Manage and provide a registry for residents that would promote their homes as a “Safe Home” for kids to visit.

If you want a safe and healthy community, please support the Livingston County Community Alliance (or other prevention organizations) to reduce and prevent substance abuse and to help people live a drug-free lifestyle.

If you would like to volunteer to help fight substance abuse in Livingston County, go to www.drugfreelivingston.com.

If you would like to show your support for the LCCA, please consider playing in, or sponsoring its 4th Annual Golf Outing on Aug. 7, 2021, at Whispering Pines. For more information, contact Don Root at (248) 875-8370 or Bill Griffin at (214) 454-0255.

Don Root
Livingston County Community Alliance volunteer
Big Red Barrel project

DON’T MISS A BEAT

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

We don’t spam!

Sharing is caring!