It angers me that people can be so dismissive of themselves. The April 24th local newspaper ran an article that points out that Laramie County received $1.3 million in opioid settlement funds in 2023; and yet, none of it has been spent due to fear of not spending it correctly and having to later on pay it back, according to one of the county commissioners. However, the article states that: "The OneWyo Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Agreement lists more than 70 ways the money can be spent, including expanding the availability of treatment for opioid use disorder, training and scholarships for health care providers combating the crisis, and public education campaigns."
Twice as many residents died from overdoses in 2023 than in 2017, according to Wyoming’s Vital Statistics Services. That was 120 deaths (10 deaths each month), of which 81 were from opioids, and 52 of those (one every week) were linked to fentanyl. Drug use/addiction is a hard beast to fight, and standing still is allowing it to fester even more.
I have heard that there used to be at least one Roberts House in Cheyenne. The Laramie County jail is trying to meet the needs of inmates with mental health issues by providing a section for extra attention to help them when they are released. Mental health and drug use/abuse often are connected, and there needs to be more recovery houses for people transitioning back into self-sufficiency while gaining the tools needed to live as law-abiding, clean and sober residents.
My suggestion is to reach out to surrounding areas that have successful Roberts Houses, and encourage them to increase their influence and success by establishing and running some Roberts Houses here in Cheyenne.
Our communities owe it to themselves and surrounding communities to push the use of opioids, both pure and synthetic, away. And we need to help law enforcement confiscate them and/or collect them from folks voluntarily turning them over so they can be safely and effectively disposed. Our county and other counties' commissioners are asking for public input with ideas on how to best utilize the funds sitting stagnant while awaiting being put to good use. Please, please, please contact your representatives with any ideas you have.
Copyright © April 24, 2024, by Maeke Ermarth
Cheyenne, WY
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