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4 May 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter joined “Kansas Today” to talk about how the fentanyl epidemic is hitting Kansas and the county hard.
“Whether you’re in the city or the county, you always hear overdose cases coming out where people are needing emergency help, and it is happening all the time, all day long, all night long,” Easter said.
The National Center for Health Statistics says fentanyl and other opioids are fueling the worst drug crisis in the history of the United States, and more than 1,500 people die per week.
During the interview, Easter talked about the county is working to fight back against the drug.
“Well, you know, it’s a collaboration of several entities that came together to take a look at this problem to see how we can educate and make awareness. It is mainly the youth, the overdoses, the poisonings that have happened with our youth,” Easter said. “It really struck a chord with all of us. We needed to educate the change, the thought process, on drug use with this generation because we are such a drug-addicted society.”
On Wednesday, Sedgwick County Commissioners gave the green light to apply for a CDC grant of $6.5 million that would go toward drug prevention programs. The money would aid the health department in tracking data and reducing overdoses.
For more on the “One Pill Can Kill” Fentanyl Awareness Campaign, click here.