C
ITY OF RENO NEWS — Judge Dorothy Nash Holmes is announcing a partnership between Reno Municipal Court’s treatment programs and the Stacie Mathewson Foundation to take action to curb the horrendous rise in drug overdose deaths. Opioids include heroin, codeine-based drugs, Oxycontin and other pain-killers.
“It is an epidemic now and we must take action to stop it,” said Judge Holmes. “Opioid overdose now causes more deaths than traffic accidents or homicides in America. Before we can rehabilitate drug users, we have to be able to save their lives.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overdose deaths have doubled in the last decade and increased yearly for the last 11 years.
Judge Holmes presides over three Specialty Court programs which provide treatment for addicts or abusers who get involved in Reno’s criminal justice system. Co-occurring Disorders Court handles individuals with addictions and mental illness. DUI-Drug Court is for people with drug or alcohol addictions. TRAIN Court is for homeless inebriants who repeatedly get arrested downtown on alcohol-related nuisance crimes downtown like drinking in public or panhandling.
“Stacie Mathewson experienced the tragic death of her son, Josh, who died of a heroin overdose earlier this year. Josh had gone through rehab and been clean for some time when he relapsed; the next dose of opiates killed him. People who are trying to kick drugs are extremely vulnerable because once their systems have been clean for awhile, their tolerance of the opiates is greatly decreased and resuming use at their previous dose is often fatal,” Judge Holmes said. “Heroin is back in our community in a big way. The addicts I see are mostly young adults. Lives are being destroyed in just a couple years of usage. Heroin can be bought cheaply in Reno. “
Saturday, August 31st has been designated as International Overdose Awareness Day and President Obama and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) are urging the public to become aware and take action. Australia started the initiative and it has taken off worldwide, and will be recognized all over the world on the same day. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized the benefits of educating the community about Naloxone and is distributing a publication, the “Opioid Overdose Toolkit” with facts and suggested strategies for communities to take.
A tool that is successful in curbing overdose deaths is a medication called Naloxone that reverses the effects of overdose, if administered in time. Naloxone has been used by First Responders for 40 years, given by injection to a person suffering respiratory failure. Now there is a low-cost kit available with Naloxone that can be administered nasally after appropriate training. Currently, 10 states and several foreign countries authorize, distribute and promote Naloxone Kits for public use. In some cities, the police carry the kits to use in emergencies. Six other states and the District of Columbia are considering legislation to authorize public Naloxone use.
“Nevada needs changes in our Good Samaritan Law to permit us to establish a Naloxone Protocol, and also to encourage people to deliver their drug-using friends to Emergency Rooms before it is too late. People are afraid to do that because of fear of prosecution,” said Judge Holmes. Nevada law imposes criminal sanctions on a drug supplier whose actions result in the user’s death. The law also requires that supplier to affirmatively try to save the life of the dying user. “People seldom take a dying person to the ER for fear of prosecution and the increased penalties that can be imposed under both statutes,” according to Judge Holmes, who served as Washoe County District Attorney from 1991-1994 and a federal prosecutor of drug traffickers in San Francisco and Reno.
The Stacie Mathewson Foundation was formed in 2011 to promote recovery and sobriety, especially in college-aged young people. It awards grants and supports programs on campuses to educate and support students to enjoy their college years drug-free and alcohol-free, sponsoring activities and events that emphasize sobriety and recovery.
