This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Kathleen Brady about the continuing opioid crisis in S.C. Dr. Brady is a Distinguished University Professor and a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction psychiatry at MUSC.

TRANSCRIPT:

Conner: I’m Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Opioid use disorder and overdose remains serious public health problems in South Carolina. Doctor Kathleen Brady is here to talk about the details. Doctor Brady is a Distinguished University Professor and a board certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction psychiatry at MUSC. Doctor Brady, how widespread is opioid use disorder and also overdose in South Carolina now?

Dr. Brady: It remains a pretty significant problem. In South Carolina. Approximately six people per day died of overdose in 2023. That was an increase in 59% between 2019 and 2020, and another 23% between 2020 and 21. And it’s not just in the street opioids that people are buying, but sometimes cannabinoids, stimulants, all sorts of other drugs that people are buying on the street are laced with fentanyl. And fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin and morphine. So, it takes just a very small amount for someone to die from an overdose.

Conner: What’s being done to help prevent opioid use disorder and also overdose in South Carolina?

Dr. Brady: Well, one of the good, bright things on the horizon is that there was a settlement between a number of pharmaceutical companies, as well as distributors of opioids, who had acted somewhat irresponsibly during the early days of the crisis. And that settlement has brought millions of dollars to the field with guardrails. Every state gets a certain amount, and the states were allocated money that was proportional to the opioid related deaths in their state. So, there has been multi-millions coming into South Carolina now. And, money is being used to increase the number of treatment places, to increase the medications that are available for treatment, to give people fentanyl test strips, to give overdose reversal agents. So, all sorts of things are being done. What we have formed with that money too, is something called a center of excellence. MUSC is a part of it. USC, Clemson, as well as DAODAS (Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services), our single state agency. And, we are there to guide communities in using these opioid abatement strategies in the best ways possible through technical assistance and consultation and on-site help with getting the strategies up and running.

Conner: What sort of help is available to individuals in our state who currently have problems with opioid use disorder?

Dr. Brady: Well, every county in the state has a treatment agency, and you can find out the name and number of that on the SAMHSA website (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). That’s samhsa.gov and just look under treatment. But if someone is in crisis situation, and there’s an emergency, another thing that SAMHSA has done is set up a hotline that is a mental health crisis hotline. Just dial 988 and it’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People can call and you will be linked into people in the state of South Carolina who can tell you about local treatment resources and help you with your current emergency situation.

Conner: Doctor Brady, thanks for this update about opioid use disorder and overdose in South Carolina.

Dr. Brady: You’re welcome. Thanks for having me.

Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I’m Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.

Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.

DT Eric Thomas (6-3 305) of Lehigh Acres, FL made his official visits to South Carolina over the weekend. That was his third and final official visit before making his decision later this summer. USC defensive line coach Travian Robertson has been eyeing Thomas as someone who could fill a big hole in their defensive line going into the 2025 season.

“On the visit, they had all the players on defense go into a room and they played all of our tapes and compared them to how their players play,” he said.  “They showed us the chances we have with parts of their D-Line leaving next year.  They compared me to #90 (Tonka Hemingway).”

Thomas added that one of the highlights for him was being around head coach Shane Beamer and the other assistants.

“Coach Beamer, I really like him.  He’s cool,” Thomas said. “The vibe of the whole staff, they seem welcoming.  You know, they’re from the South  and we’re from the South too, so I feel like it’s a bond there.  And my D-Line coach TRob, he’s real cool.  He’s been in the NFL before, so being with him could be a similar experience to get me to where I’m trying to go.” 

Thomas also made official visits to Syracuse and Marshall. The visit to USC put the Gamecocks in a head to head battle with the Orange.

“They are in my last two,” Thomas said.  “My two are Syracuse and South Carolina, those are my two options.  I’ll make my decision probably sometime in July, before my season starts.  It’s 50-50 right now.” 

Former Oklahoma utility player Quincee Lilio has comitted to South Carolina, Lilio announced on her Instagram on Sunday.

Lilio entered the transfer portal on June 10 alongside Avery Hodge and SJ Guerin.

All three former Sooners are staying in the Southeastern Conference, as Hodge is headed to LSU and Guerin landed at Auburn.

Lilio only made 31 trips to the plate in 2024, where she hit .129 with five RBIs, 10 walks and six strikeouts.

She played both at second base and in the outfield in 2023, starting 12 games and appearing in 47 total contests for the Sooners.

As a redshirt freshman, she hit .275 with one home run, two doubles and a triple, tallying nine RBIs.

The Sooners landed their first addition out of the transfer portal last week in former North Carolina catcher Isabela Emerling.