Use jail as a way to screen and connect people with substance use disorders to effective treatment. Provide education about the disease of addiction to judges, lawyers, police, and jail and prison staff. Address prejudice by sharing more videos and stories of people in recovery. Increase state and federal funding for methadone and Suboxone treatment. Train more doctors how to provide evidence-based care. Reform emergency rooms to get people into treatment immediately. Involve employers, schools and religious groups.
These are just some of the 99 ideas to help stop the opiate epidemic that were generated by several hundred people, including Sen. Angus King, at the Bangor Daily News’ One Life Project, held May 4 in Bangor. The ideas are a powerful testament to the fact that, together, we have a good understanding of what to do to prevent more overdose deaths. Now, in the absence of state leadership, it will be up to this persistent community to follow through.
Beyond brainstorming at One Life, people put their names to various actions they can pursue in their own lives, whether to address their own biases, talk more openly about their own experiences with addiction, educate others, or simply learn more about the subject. They said they want to be connected to school or community efforts to support youth, and advocate for or volunteer with local organizations to address issues of stigma, among many others.
And now comes another chance to actually do something to make a substantial difference. Staff at St. Joseph Healthcare read the 99 ideas that the community created and correctly saw they would require funding. So they went to the Community Health Leadership Board, a partnership of Bangor-area health organizations, with an idea: Create a way for everyone to contribute. Create a community circle of support.
The social media campaign Circle of Caring, which launched Wednesday, is similar to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. You draw a circle. Or you build a circle with your friends. Or you make a circle with your hands. Take a picture or a video, post it on Facebook with #CaringCircle, and, if you can, donate here: www.bangorchlb.org. The money will go toward treatment for people in crisis and those in need of ongoing support. The awareness can show we’re united.
All the funds will be directed to the Community Health Leadership Board, which is a group of health care providers, hospitals and the city of Bangor. The Community Health Leadership Board will be able to fund various initiatives based on how much is raised. Its initial goal is $50,000, which, for example, could be used to help educate, license and support more providers to prescribe Suboxone. If it were to raise $150,000 or more, it might be able to pursue the first stages of a detox program.
All the funds used, except for credit card processing fees, will go toward solutions. The groups involved in the work will report back to the public on how the money is used. The opiate epidemic is one of the biggest problems facing our communities, and it will take a community approach to fully address it. Who will you encourage to join your circle?
The One Life event was inspired by a young man named Garrett Brown who let the BDN chronicle his life, and addiction to heroin, for two-and-a-half years before he died of an overdose in Augusta. He was far from the only one. On May 6, Will Symonds lost his battle with an addiction to heroin, as his obituary stated upfront. The 2012 graduate of Bangor High School competed on the soccer and swim teams for all four years, later joined the Army Reserves, and, as his obituary read, “was a kind, gentle and loving soul; he gave the best hugs ever.”
For these young men, and too many others who die each year, a circle was broken. We can ensure their memories live on in a community united against addiction.
