10 May 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Fentanyl Awareness Day has city and county leaders talking about solutions to the opioid crisis.
The City of Wichita approved money Tuesday for Safe Streets Wichita to buy more Narcan.
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says he understands Narcan saves lives, but it’s a bandage approach.
“We’ve got to be more proactive when it comes to education levels to educate students, the youth to change it generationally that hey, we need to stay away from drugs, period because they’re going to kill me,” Sheriff Easter said.
He says the drugs go beyond overdoses and poisoning.
“Crime statistics that is created because people that abused drugs, our crime rates are high simply because of that,” Sheriff Easter said. “Property crimes and your violent crimes, if we can educate the next generation, hopefully, we can see reductions in crime rates as well.“
The Sherriff’s office is using an education campaign.
“On Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and then some other streaming videos and geo-fencing around all the middle schools and high schools here in Sedgwick County, so that when those kids get on their phones, we can give them the information about fentanyl,” Sheriff Easter said.
They are also using platforms to target parents.
He says Narcan doesn’t always work how people expect.
“There’s a misnomer out there that one thing of Narcan is going to bring you back. That’s not true,” Sheriff Easter said. “We’re seeing it that it’s in such concentrated levels, we’re having to get five doses of Narcan to bring people back, and some people still aren’t coming back.”
He says Xylazine has also made its way to Wichita, which Narcan doesn’t reverse.
“You have to educate because the drug dealers and the folks that manufacture stuff, they’re just gonna keep putting stuff in it that now we have to find other ways,” Sheriff Easter said.
He has seen people take advantage of Narcan as well, using it time and time again.
On the other hand, Keith Dockter is in recovery and got a second chance himself.
“I remember when I was using heroin, I never thought that that was going to happen to me. You know, however, I did overdose,” Dockter said.
Although Narcan was not used on him, he’s an advocate for it.
“It’s a life-saving medication, so if we bring somebody back with Narcan, and we get them the resources, and that person gets help and they get better, then that’s worth it,” Dockter said.
He says it impacts everyone.
“If people think that it’s not going to hit their families, their communities or people, they’re mistaken,” Dockter said. “I mean, it’s everywhere in Wichita.”
He says all pills are dangerous.
“Literally, unless you’re getting a pill from a pharmacist, you don’t know what it is, you know,” Dockter said. “So even if they’re thinking that they’re getting Xanax or they’re getting Adderall, etc., those things are all cut with fentanyl.”
He deals with the reality of drugs daily.
“I hear about or know somebody or a family member of, you know, a friend or some way somebody overdosing every day,” Dockter said.