Police: When it comes to Heroin and Opioids Oxford Bucking Regional and National Trend

BY MAGGIE CALLAGHAN

Miami University Journalism Student

The use of Narcan, the drug that reverses an opioid overdose, in Oxford has decreased in the past two years and is on pace to continue that downward dip again this year, despite increases across the region.

“Our Narcan administration has actually gone down in the last 3 years,” said Oxford Fire Chief John Detherage.

There were 25 Narcan administrations in 2016, 28 in 2015 and 35 in 2014.

The 10th Narcan administration happened just this month, officials said.

Emergency workers used the drug, also known as Naloxone, to revive Steven Cole, 37, of Oxford, on Sept. 13 after they were called to an apartment complex on a report of a drug overdoses, according to police reports.

Narcan is a prescription drug that reverses an opioid overdose within five minutes of being administered.

Officer were called to the Parkview Arms Apartments complex and found Cole unconscious and barely breathing. There were three other people in the apartment with him. After he was revived, Cole was taken McCullough Hyde Hospital.

“The problem here is less worse than what most [communities] are having,” Detherage said. “The makeup of this community has a big impact on that. Most of our population is college students and older people. Neither of those groups are big opioid abusers.”

'Need to put a fear about overdosing in Middletown'
The opioid epidemic has a stranglehold on southwest Ohio, where deaths from overdoses are at record highs in many counties.

But Oxford is a bit of an enclave when it comes to the scourge of heroin, authorities said.

“Heroin use to be a taboo drug,” said Oxford police Sgt. Jon Varley. “But that’s not the case anymore. People are turning to [opioids] and it’s not just in certain populations.”

One of the communities hit hardest is 20 miles down the road.

Middletown has spent $16,000 for Narcan in May and June alone and there has already been 577 EMS runs from the beginning of the year to June 16.

Oxford EMS receives its supply of Narcan through a grant from the Ohio Department of Health. Last year, Oxford used 70 viles, at a total cost of $2,000, said Oxford Fire Captain Jay Fields. It can take more than one vial in order bring a person back from an overdose. In Cincinnati, for example, there have been cases of one person getting six, seven, eight or more doses of Narcan during a single overdose.

Not everyone agrees that Narcan is the answer to the exploding opioid crisis.

In June, Middletown City Council Member Dan Picard introduced the question of what legal obligation EMS had to respond to overdoses.

“I want to send a message to the world that you don’t want to come to Middletown to overdose because someone might not come with Narcan and save your life,”said Picard. "We need to put a fear about overdosing in Middletown."

Controversial and outspoken Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones does not allow his deputies to carry or administer Narcan.

Picard and Jones have been repeatedly criticized for their approaches.

“You have to do what you can to help people,” said Detherage. “We are not here to judge people, we are here to help people.”

Varley concurred. Oxford police currently do not carry Narcan, but are looking into that possibility in the future, Varley said. Officers are called to overdoses however.

“We aren’t there to arrest people,” said Varley. “If someone is looking for, we are going to respond as law enforcement, but as people we are there trying to help.”

Both Varley and Detherage agareed that treatment is increasingly hard to find for addicts.

“Incarceration helps,” said Detherage. “They aren’t necessarily going to get the help on their own but in jail you force them into treatment.”

According to Varley, police attempt to follow-up with those who overdosed to help them get treatment but he said he recognizes that doesn’t always work because people don't respond.

“It’s easy to turn away,” he said.

The Opioid Epidemic in Oxford and Miami
But the officers acknowledge that while the Narcan numbers may not show it, Oxford is not immune from the drug crisis.

“Oxford is sometimes compared to Mayberry,” said Varley. “But the reality is that we have this problem like anybody else.”

Oxford police are working to educate the public about this epidemic as well as sponsoring "drug take back" programs where people can give them old prescriptions that will be properly destroyed.

There is a drop off box at 4945 Oxford Trenton Road that accepts everything except syringes and liquids from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday through Friday.

Even Miami University has stepped up its effort to help students.

The Miami University Police Department trained and equipped their police officers with Narcan a year and a half ago.

“There is no other law enforcement team in Butler County that uses Narcan,” said Miami University Police Capt. Ben Spilman.

These resources were offered through a partnership with Tri-Health Medical Group, which provides the Narcan and Training at no additional cost to the Miami, according to Spilman.

Miami police have yet to administer Narcan.

“We don’t want to see any young lives cut short because of a bad decision,” said Spilman.

Miami is also working with The Haven at College, which opened its doors on September 18. It's primary goal is to help college students through their recovery process.

“Our goal is help students stay engaged while getting the help they need,” says The Haven at College University Accounts Director Aly Ries. “A lot of the time that’s not the case ... students have to choose between school and treatment.

"Students should never have to make that choice,” she added.

The Haven at College Center is open for all students or people on a college track.

“This is a national epidemic,” said Ries. “This doesn’t discriminate; it touches every community.”

There has not been an overdose on Miami’s campus, Spilman said.

“We are lucky,” he said. “It would be naive to think that there are not drugs on our campus.”

Miami and the the town of Oxford continue to look at the opioid epidemic as it becomes a larger state issue.

“People don’t think bad things happen here,'' Varley said. "But it does.”

Cutline-Parkview Arms Apartments is located on College Corner Pike. Oxford Fire Chief John Detherage believes that management can play a large role in what happens and who they allow to live there. He explains that after such event, management will become more "picky" and that will change the demographic .

Cutline-The Haven at College opened its door on S. Campus Ave on Wednesday, September 20. The program began in 2012 at the University of Southern California and has expanded to five college campuses including Miami University. The center offers outpatient services like group therapy, counseling, mentoring and social programming.