TORRINGTON, Conn. — Litchfield County has had dozens of drug overdoses during the month of July, the Litchfield County Opiate Task Force says. Most recently, six were reported on July 15th.
A spike in overdoses happens when there are more than three overdoses within 24 hours, fatal or nonfatal. Ashlee Thomas has been impacted by drug abuse for most of her life.
Her mom became addicted to painkillers and then heroin at a young age. Her father is incarcerated for an armed robbery while under the influence. She even battled it at a point in her life. Now, she's using her knowledge to help others.
She launched a campaign called OD Reduction CT with her friend Carly Roberts. The two Torrington residents say the harm reduction service is meant to help those struggling with addiction.
"We want to reduce the harm and the risk that’s going to be brought into these communities by drug use," Thomas said. "I understand that people who are struggling with this, they do it on their own time and that’s okay. We’re here through every step of the journey."
She's using TikTok as a platform to share resources and spread awareness. Thomas says the purpose of the campaign is to give a safe avenue to end drug use whenever users think it's time.
Roberts says it's not easy to quit. Many people don't have the resources or support to do so. They want to offer that.
They're creating kits to give out with syringes, alcohol wipes, and fentanyl drug test strips. They will also deliver free Narcan or people can pick it up and they have resources on how to use it. They also want to host needle exchanges throughout the county for people to dispose of used ones and get new, clean ones.
"We’ll have a biohazard container that the state comes and picks up and disposes of correctly," Thomas said. "It reduces a huge risk to wildlife, to children, and to the addicts themselves."
They also have information available to people looking to get clean.
Roberts doesn't have any family members who use drugs but says she'd had many friends impacted by it. One of those friends was Thomas' son's dad. He died in 2016 from an overdose before Roberts knew Thomas.
"I can’t help but to think that, if Narcan and the resources and the knowledge that we have now was available then, that he might still be here," Thomas said.
Thomas says there are people who comment on her TikToks that it's not their problem. She argues differently. She says drug abuse doesn't discriminate based on where someone lives, their skin color, or any other characteristic.
After the county reported a number of overdoses, some deadly, at the beginning of the month, she questioned who would be next.
"It made me all the more want to kind of kickstart this whole entire thing because it’s only going to get worse if somebody doesn't stand in and do something," the mother said.
On Tuesday, a settlement was reached with Teva Pharmaceuticals for their role in the opioid epidemic. The Israel-based company will pay more than four billion dollars to resolve thousands of lawsuits against the company.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong released a statement saying, "This $4.25 billion agreement with Teva is a significant breakthrough in our fight to hold the entire addiction industry accountable for the devastation of the opioid epidemic. While we are still negotiating final details with Teva over precise terms, this agreement would provide yet another infusion of critical resources to combat the opioid crisis here in Connecticut."
Connecticut has the Good Samaritan Law which protects someone from criminal or civil charges for getting emergency help if overdosing or getting help for someone else overdosing. Thomas says that can save many lives.
Next, they want to get funding for the campaign so they can begin holding needle exchanges. She says they wouldn't have got this far without TikTok.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached for free at 800-662-4357 for those seeking help. Addiction services can also be found throughout Connecticut here. OD Reduction CT can be contacted by email at ODReductionCT@gmail.com and on TikTok at ODReductionCT.
Tony Black is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tblack@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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