LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Drug overdose deaths are going down across the country, but not here in Nevada.
The state saw an uptick based on the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Volunteer, Adam Perlis with the local recovery group, There is No Hero in Heroin Foundation says he’s seeing less of a stigma with Las Vegas locals seeking help.
What he’s not seeing, his brother who recently died of an overdose.
Perlis has this message on how prevalent the problem is. “Everybody you know used to be like, ‘Oh, my God, you know someone that overdosed.’ And these days now, it’s more like everybody knows somebody who’s had that type of situation,” Perlis said. “It’s becoming more regular. Three months ago, my brother overdosed.”
Perlis says he turned his pain into purpose.
“All I can do is look at that positively and try to help out anybody with my story, and reach out to anybody who I can help, no matter what age,” Perlis said.
In Nevada, a lot of people need that help. Despite drug overdose deaths going down across the country, there’s been a 26% increase in overdose deaths here, making Nevada the second-highest spike nationwide, behind Alaska in a one-year period.
Perlis thinks Narcan can curb the troubling trend. The medicine can treat an overdose in an emergency situation.
Dr. Taylor Lensch with the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Reno thinks it’s helping, too. He oversees the Overdose Data to Action program, which provides timelier data on opioid mortality.
Dr. Lensch tells FOX5 quote, “We’ve started to see a downward shift in emergency department visits for suspected overdoses in recent months here in nevada, so hopefully that means we will start to see a downward shift in this trend in the near future.”
That would be welcome news for Perlis.
“I hope and try to stay positive that it will get better, and if the numbers are going down, then obviously we’re doing something that works,” Perlis said. “But I just know that it wasn’t getting better for a while, and that’s why I just wanted to help out any way I can.”
Dr. Lensch says moving forward, the state needs to continue to allocate resources to prevent overdose deaths both in terms of prevention and treatment, and that we reduce the stigma of getting help.
For a list of the many local agencies and organizations that provide addiction treatment and recovery, explore this link to connect with the resources that are readily available.
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