By Annette Pinder
David Ovalle, a Washington Post reporter who writes about opioids and addiction, cited a new federal study published in JAMA Psychiatry, confirming that 321,500 children in the United States lost a parent to a drug overdose between 2011 and 2021. Those most affected were youngsters with White non-Hispanic parents, Native Americans, and communities of color.
The study highlighted the importance of providing resources to family members left to care for these children who are at a significant risk for future addiction and behavioral health problems. The researchers found that an increased use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl during the past three president administrations resulted in 650,000 people between the ages 18 and 64 dying from an overdose.
Richard G. Frank, director of the Center on Health Policy at the Brookings Institution, pointed out that the impact of losing a parent profoundly affects the economic success of families, communities, and a child’s future success. For example, when Sarah Gomez of Arkansas died of a suspected fentanyl overdose in 2022, her 10-year-old daughter discovered her body. Gomez’ father, Stephen Tisdale, a retired truck driver living on social security, now cares for his granddaughter, but worries about how the experience will affect her future success. Tisdale, who says he never expected to be a single parent again, founded the Facebook Group Americans Against Fentanyl.
Closer to home, a New York Times article recently discussed 7 deaths that occurred in our own neighborhoods. On June 17 over a period of only 5 hours, 7 individuals in Erie County lost their lives due to fentanyl-tainted drugs. This year, Erie County is now on target to exceed the number of last year’s 435 overdose deaths. Erie County Sheriff John Garcia, said, “In some ways, drug deaths have become so common that the county’s toll seemed to barely register beyond relatives, frontline workers, and officials who have been fighting what they call an epidemic.” All of the June 17 victims were middle-aged, ranging from 43 to 61. Another fatal overdose occurred 4 days later to a 50-year-old woman.
Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein says that while cocaine has become increasingly popular, few people are aware that it is often mixed with fentanyl, xylazine, or benzodiazepines. Dr. Joshua Lynch, Chief Medical Officer for Matters, an organization that links people to treatment, medication, and overdose prevention supplies, says that many patients come to the Emergency Department thinking they are sick, without realizing that they are suffering from the effects of opiate withdrawal. Dr. Lynch encourages people to be aware of blue vending machines throughout our community that provide free Narcan emergency kits and fentanyl testing strips.
Why is this happening in Western New York? Health officials, law enforcement, and addiction specialists say the rise in opioid deaths stems from poverty, generational addictions, fraying support systems, and Buffalo’s proximity to Canadian border crossings, which are drug trafficking routes. For help and information reach out to the Opiate Epidemic Task Force at https://www3.erie.gov/health/about-opiate-epidemic-task-force. Also see www.mattersnetwork.org.
