2 weeks Ago
In 2020, there were 1,734 deaths due to drug overdose in South Carolina, and the number has been rising steadily since. In the face of such a devastating crisis, Just Say Something, along with several other key partners, have teamed up to offer support, create solutions, and help people find healing and rehabilitation. Just Say Something is part of a larger group of partners called The POWER Collective, along with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Mental Health America Greenville County (988), RIZE Prevention, NAMI Greenville and Unity Health on Main, which are taking a stand against South Carolina’s opioid crisis and advocating for education and prevention.
Through this extensive network of partners, Just Say Something can provide resources for those dealing with drug addiction and rehabilitation. “We have to invest in each other,” explains Phillip Clark, CEO and executive director of Just Say Something, who knows that success comes with teamwork and dedication. Through this collaborative spirit between Just Say Something and the rest of The POWER Collective, many have received help, and other partners have been equipped with the resources to share with many more.
Clark explains that the biggest problem for people who are suffering from opioid addiction is that they aren’t aware of the resources available to them. Just Say Something works tirelessly to ensure that everyone, no matter who it is, has knowledge and access to things like the crisis helpline, rehabilitation centers and other life-saving supplies. Their team has also worked tirelessly to reduce the stigma that surrounds opioid addiction.
“People see addiction as a moral failure rather than a disease or sickness,” says Clark. “Many people think, ‘If we don’t talk about it, then it doesn’t exist,’ which exacerbates the problem.” He also explained that when people feel the pressure of judgment, they feel embarrassed or ashamed and are less likely to seek help.
Through education and advocacy, Clark hopes to help people understand the nature of addiction and how they can help someone who might be struggling with compassion and love. Prevention is also a significant goal for Just Say Something. Through a network of partners, Just Say Something has been able to organize educational seminars and opportunities for people who are at high risk for addiction.
These seminars teach people about proper drug disposal so that opioids don’t accidentally end up in a landfill and into the wrong hands. They also focus on stressing the dangers of taking medication that a medical professional didn’t prescribe. Today's Top Headlines Story continues below Judge in Murdaugh-related case over leaked photos of Mallory Beach's body asked to step down USC students' ‘roast’ featuring Proud Boys founder draws rowdy crowd, small protest How a Beaufort family found a genie lamp in Spartanburg with wishes worth up to $1.
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on video': SC man recovering after being bitten by world's most venomous snake Indie horror movie filmed in Columbia uses Papa Jazz, New Brookland Tavern as settings Stephen Colbert's new cookbook with his wife was inspired by pandemic living on Sullivan's Island Most drugs that are sold outside of a medical capacity are often mixed with xylazine and fentanyl, and while there are test strips available, they aren’t always accurate. Clark describes buying drugs without a doctor’s prescription like gambling. “You think if you’re getting something from a friend, it’s safe.
It’s not. If you get it from anywhere else, you’re playing Russian Roulette,” he says. Just Say Something has also been able to provide physical resources as well.
Last year, 30,000 pill bottles with lockable prescription valves were distributed at no cost across the Upstate. With funding secured for an additional 50,000 bottles this year, Just Say Something can prevent approximately 4 1⁄2 million pills from being stolen and abused. They also distribute backpacks that contain lockable pill bottles, literature about rehabilitation and battling addiction, Narcan and other medicines used to reverse opioid overdose.
Prisma Health and Bon Secours have started putting prescriptions in lockable bottles, and Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, and Coastal Carolina have also stocked their student health centers with them, as college students are often prime targets for drug use. Equipping people to either help treat someone suffering from an overdose or arming people to help themselves is a step towards reducing the number of deaths caused by overdose. Just Say Something and the rest of The POWER are dedicated to reaching beyond Greenville County.
Rural counties and some of South Carolina’s smallest communities struggle with drug addiction the most, and Clark says they want to target those areas specifically. One of their partnerships, the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, has made it possible for them to reach the state’s more isolated communities. Above all, opioid addiction won’t just disappear overnight, and it certainly won’t go away on its own.
It takes the love and compassion of an entire community to help those who are suffering find healing. “We have to get our community to start looking at things that will help our community get healthier and more supportive,” says Clark. Through education, intervention, prevention and creative problem-solving, we can help South Carolina become a little bit healthier physically and mentally.
To learn more about The POWER Collective and Just Say Something, please visit their website at powercollectiveSC.com ..
