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WCPO 9 is committed to finding solutions, hosting our fourth community conversation Monday to connect advocates, experts and neighbors looking to tackle substance abuse and addiction in our region.
A new documentary released by BrightView Health shines a light on the growing issue of addiction. BrightView’s Medical Director Dr. Gilbert Schmidt and the Film’s Producer David McDonald discuss the documentary, Addiction Ultimatum: Jail, Death, Recovery that premieres on October 30th from 7pm-9pm, inviting people to join to help remove the stigmas that surrounds this devastating disease.
The number of people dying from fatal drug overdoses is dropping nationwide, as well as in Virginia and North Carolina, CDC data shows. April 2024 is 15 percent lower than April 2023 in Virginia, according to the preliminary data.
We come together, one, to honor those individuals that are in recovery from substance use disorders, as well as the different service providers that make recovery possible,” Jewel White, community outreach manager for Brightview Health, said. “Today, we have a lot of community agencies, we have some probation departments, some courts that are present here. We have representation of all different types of entities that support individuals that are in recovery.”
“I was a monster,” said Labell. ‘When you’re addicted to drugs you don’t have any regard for anyone else’s feelings because you feeling ok is all that matters,” After a few years, she said it then overtook her adult life. “I lost my car I lost my home, I lost my children, I don’t think it gets any worse than that,” explained Labell.
First Justice Lisa F. Edmonds recalls sitting at her bench under the low ceilings of the Falmouth District Courthouse, listening to a defense attorney list acronym after acronym: abbreviated stages of substance use care recommended for the attorney’s client. She said she turned to the clerk beside her and asked for clarification on the alphabet soup of terms indicating the steps along the way to recovery.