Representatives from the city and county recognize their respective spending must be intentional in focus and coordinated with each other’s work.
Tag: opioids
Showing 1-21 of 27 results
Community paramedics introduce medication-assisted treatment for opioid use
Buncombe County EMS has a new tool for helping an individual suffering from an opioid overdose: medication-assisted treatment, or MAT.
Letter: Asheville should set example for helping homeless
“Hopefully, Asheville can step up and set an example of how to show compassion and grace in helping those of ours most in need the way to a bearable life.”
Syringe disposal units are a ‘balancing act’
In September 2018, Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe placed its first needle disposal boxes in its bathrooms. “We were finding needles in the bathroom on the floor,” explains lead bookseller Justin Souther. Sometimes, people would open the top of the toilet tank and hide used needles inside, he says.
Year in Review: Community members discuss 2021 health concerns
While COVID-19 may have dominated WNC’s psyche in 2021, it was by no means the only health and wellness story Xpress told. Opioid abuse, mental health and self-care also emerged as major themes from the year.
Wellness in brief: HCA hosting opioid takeback events on Oct. 23
Members of the public can anonymously dispose of unused or expired opioid medications at HCA Healthcare’s Crush the Crisis events at various locations. Local law enforcement agencies are partnering with HCA Healthcare for the takeback event on Saturday, Oct. 23. The drop-off locations are Mission Hospital in Asheville, 1 Hospital Drive, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Mission […]
WNC health care providers work to cut opioid prescriptions
Drug abuse changed during the 13 years that Adam McIssac has been working as a drug and alcohol counselor in Asheville. At the beginning, McIssac mostly saw clients who were addicted to methamphetamine. But over time “pills,” including opioids like oxycodone (OxyContin) and hydrocodone (Vicodin), became the main drugs that his clients abused. Opioid abuse […]
Buncombe jail officials reflect on opioid treatment program a year after expansion
A year after the Buncombe County Detention Facility expanded its medication-assisted treatment program, Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller says it’s time to put the successful service “in four-wheel drive.”
Health in brief: St. Gerard House expands services for autistic teens
Annual events move to Zoom, nonprofits prepare for Thanksgiving and more area wellness news.
From NC Health News: With an eye toward enhancing the drug treatment ecosystem, feds award $1 Million to NC rural providers
Four agencies in eastern and western NC received federal grants to study and enhance drug treatment options in some of the state’s rural opioid hotspots.
Letter: NC needs medical marijuana
“Chronic pain sufferers must now go to ‘pain clinics,’ where if marijuana is found in their urine, they will promptly be deprived of the medication they need to function.”
Alternative pain therapies may reduce addiction risk
In the midst of a crisis of opioid addiction and overdoses, patients and doctors alike are seeking out alternatives to opioid medication for relieving pain. Ranging from medicinal herbs to acupuncture to biofeedback, options abound — offering both hope and a bewildering array of choices.
Opioid abuse takes center stage at town hall
A town hall meeting on Jan. 30 at A-B Tech sought to describe the scope of the opioid epidemic. In 2016, 17 million painkillers were prescribed in Buncombe County, which amounts to about 68 pills for every person in the county.
Suiting up: County files lawsuit against opioid industry
Last month, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved moving forward with litigation against the opioid industry and now it officially has a federal lawsuit against pain pill manufacturers and distributors.
Commissioners sign off on economic incentive changes, more preschool space and opioid lawsuit
Buncombe County commissioners signed off on amending economic development incentives, expanding preschool offerings and moving forward with a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.
Buncombe opioid emergency cases rise 173%
The number of opioid-related hospital visits in Buncombe County is up 172 percent from the previous year and commissioners and looking to the courtroom for relief.
Buncombe OD calls on track to eclipse last year
Buncombe County staff presented commissioners with an update on opioid use on Tuesday, Aug. 1. Statistics from Buncombe EMS show some 520 responses to overdoses and poisonings in the first half of this year.
Attorney General Josh Stein discusses opioid crisis in WNC
State Attorney General Josh Stein visited Asheville on June 6 to discuss the region’s efforts to combat the far-reaching effects of the opioid crisis. While not alone among North Carolina counties in dealing with drug abuse, overdoses and drug-related deaths, Buncombe County’s problem is significant, local representatives and Stein said.
Blunt talk: Medical marijuana takes root
Buncombe County commissioners identified combating opioid abuse and increasing teacher salary supplements as top priorities. But is legal marijuana a viable strategy for achieving those goals, or merely smoke and mirrors?
Commissioners shelve anti-opioid efforts, approve preschool expansion
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted to expand access to preschool while holding off on pledged support to anti-opioid efforts during its meeting on Tuesday, April 4.
20 recent overdose deaths sparks $750K commitment from Buncombe
No funding has officially been approved, but commissioners presented a united front in committing to a three-pronged approach to curbing opioid use. The effort will include community paramedics, residential treatment for new mothers and a media blitz focused on prevention.