Montana Attorney General, non-profit team up to battle fentanyl crisis

MISSOULA – MTN Information has beforehand reported on the issue of fentanyl within the state.

Montana’s high regulation enforcement official says deaths attributable to fentanyl have jumped 1100% since 2017 within the Treasure State.

Now, one nonprofit is working with the Montana Legal professional Normal’s Workplace to stop much more by giving colleges and youth organizations opioid reversal kits.

The results of fentanyl are far-reaching, and for Voices for Consciousness Dealing with Fentanyl govt director Andrea Thomas, it’s private. “I misplaced my daughter to fentanyl in 2018.”

Thomas desires to make sure different mother and father do not lose their kids to the drug.

“We have to make the dialog obtainable to youth, we’ve acquired to achieve out to them. Allow them to know what we learn about illicit fentanyl, see what they know, and hopefully cease them and forestall one other household from shedding somebody,” Thompson defined.

The non-profit Voices for Consciousness Dealing with Fentanyl and the Montana Legal professional Normal’s Workplace are working collectively to distribute opioid reversal kits.

“The outreach is incredible. I believe the kits they’re developing with — I believe are only a incredible thought,” famous Montana Legal professional Normal Austin Knudson.

The kits — which include naloxone, the nasal spray that helps reverse an opioid overdose — shall be launched subsequent month.

The kits additionally embrace coaching on how one can use the nasal spray, plus training for youngsters and adults to be taught concerning the penalties and prevalence of fentanyl.

Mike Fiore, a restoration inspirational speaker, spoke of his personal historical past of dependancy.

He known as the fentanyl drawback a plague that’s taking extra kids’s lives than most individuals know.

“These youngsters each faculty we go to we ask them one; ‘have you learnt fentanyl?’ All their fingers are up. After which we ask them, ‘have you ever misplaced anybody to fentanyl?’ And all these fingers are staying up,” Fiore mentioned.

Knudsen has given particular consideration to the fentanyl disaster in Montana.

“It’s staggering to me now to see how in simply two brief years, actually, fentanyl has simply skyrocketed in Montana,” Knudsen noticed.

The Montana Legal professional Normal’s workplace had the same presentation on the Flathead Reservation earlier this week.