County approves $58K request to increase NARCAN supply

ROCKINGHAM — On Tuesday, the Richmond County Board of Commissioners approved $58,000 to increase the available supply of NARCAN in the county.

This request from the Drug Endangered Task Force and asked by Division of Social Services director Robby Hall will used funds from the roughly $8.7 million that the county has received from state of North Carolina, which itself received $26 billion as part of an agreement to bring relief to communities impacted by opioids.

Commissioner Andy Grooms asked if this request was spurred by an end to current grants that were being utilized to address the opioid epidemic. Hall agreed, yes, and that the need is greater and higher than ever in our community.

“Child welfare workers must now carry [NARCAN],” Hall said, adding that they provide it to Child Protective Services and all of the municipality police departments. “We’ve had to use it in [the DSS parking lot].”

Hall said that all of the cans won’t be ordered at one time and that it is has a shelf life of about a year. Each box will cost $50. Hall added that Emergency Services Director Bob Smith will help keep track of their inventory.

Grooms added that he hates to vote and approve a request that isn’t helping break a cycle, merely addressing and perpetuating an existing problem, but that it is necessary. He stated that they can expect to spend over 1 million over the next 18 years to address this issue.

Grooms encouraged other commissioners to contact state lawmakers to see if they can pick up part of this price tag in future budgets.

The Board unanimously approved the request of $58,000.

According to Hall, every month, four to six births in the county are substance positive. Hall said these substance affected infants have greatly exacerbated the number of children in foster care.

“We have 19 infants for example in foster care, they are all substance affected,” Hall said to Attorney General Josh Stein at a roundtable in Richmond County last month. “For a small county like ours, because it’s done a number on our system too, normally we would have about 34-35 kids in foster care, we are roughly at 115 in foster care right now due to closures for mental health facilities, group homes and substance affected infants.”