The Yazoo community gathered at Parkview Church of God last Wednesday to learn from local law enforcement officers about opioid drugs and substance abuse prevention.
Cpt. Jimmie Nichols from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics gave the feature presentation on the spike in drug abuse and drug trends all over the state.
Nichols began his lecture by explaining that a drug is any substance that enters into your body that causes a physical or psychological change. Drugs of this nature include cigarettes and alcohol, which are often a gateway into substance abuse and alcoholism for teenagers.
Nichols went into great detail on the effects of Marijuana, explaining that the hallucinogenic THC levels in Marijuana, which ranged from 3-7% in the 1960s and 70s, has increased to nearly 41% today because of experimentation and production on the streets.
"The equivalent of smoking one of these joints is like smoking 3 - 4 packs of cigarettes per day." said Nichols, "That's going to cause a lot of problems down the road with your lungs, your respiratory system, your breathing, and your brain."
Nichols explained that more and more youth are jumping from cigarettes and marijuana to cocaine, spice, bath salts, methamphetamine and heroin.
Captain Nichols also walked the congregation through a slideshow containing before and after photos of meth addicts and the deterioration of their physical appearance and mental states.
Next, Nichols explained the effects of Spice, also known as synthetic marijuana, made from mixing dry leaves and acetone. Spice is a new drug that has become popular over the last 8 years resulting in countless deaths after one use.
"Its about 200 times worse than smoking a joint," said Nichols, "Your chances of dying are increased 80%. I have seen people die from first time use of this."
Nichols showed pictures of what some packaging looks like for spice, including one with the cartoon character Scooby-Doo called "Scooby Snax" which has been marketed to kids.
Nichols ended his lecture explaining that the source of most pain killer medications such as hydrocodones, contain opium, which is highly addictive and is where the term "Opioid" comes from.
Talk Yazoo also featured a panel of law enforcement and medical personnel who presented a variety of topics on substance abuse related to Yazoo County.
Guy Phillips, Pharmacist of Yazoo Drug Company, spoke about opioids.
"What they were made for was to relieve pain, to help people get better after surgery," said Phillips. "But, they are highly addictive and the addiction can take place over a short period of time."
Phillips stressed that once people are finished with their prescribed pain medications, that the medicines should be properly disposed of, to keep them out of the hands of those who would abuse the medicine.
Joseph Ledbetter, Director Of Nursing at Yazoo Baptist Medical Center, spoke about the prevalence of opioid seekers and ER visits in the community.
Ledbetter explained that there is a database used between the pharmacies and the doctors offices and hospitals that keep track of the number of opoids and prescriptions written to a person over a long period of time. This database is used to prevent addicts from receiving more and more of the pills that they plan to abuse or sell. But that doesn't stop the addicts from finding more, it just limits their access to the drug.
Ledbetter went on to warn listeners that people will raid medicine cabinets at home to get high or will buy it on the streets when they realize that they cannot get anymore of their pills at the emergency room.
Detective Tilmon Clifton of the Yazoo City Police Department spoke on drug prevalence and arrests in Yazoo City.
"Its not a race issue its a community issue. Its in all parts of Yazoo City," Said Clifton.
The 13 year veteran police officer said 80% or more of the crime in Yazoo City is based on drug-related incidents.
Clifton spoke about how they use the D.A.R.E. program to tell kids and adults about how to resist drugs and alcohol.
Terry Gann, Chief Investigator with the Yazoo County Sheriff's Department spoke on drug prevalence and arrests in Yazoo County.
"Every one of those drugs you see here on the screen is available right here in this county." said Gann. "If you think that you live in a good community and that its not there, you're blind."
Gann went on to explain that drugs can be found in communities from Eden to Bentonia. He says that the worst places to find drugs are in the schools.
Judge Pam May of the Yazoo County Justice Court spoke to the audience about the consequences of Drug-Related Arrests, going into detail about the fines that are involved with the arrests, but explained that there is only so much that the law can do to a person.
"There is a misconception that Judges have the power to do what they want to. No. We set high bonds thinking that maybe the family will let them set there a while, but before you can get off the phone, they're there getting them out."
Judge May says that drug and alcohol use is a choice that a person has made and that they must undergo the consequences, but often family members are doing more harm than good by providing drugs and alcohol to their loved one.
"Its a sin problem." said May, "We tell them to say no to drugs, but we should also be telling them to say yes to Jesus Christ."
Michael Jordan with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health spoke about treatment for substance overdose and programs that are available to help people with addictions.
Jordan spoke highly of drug treatment programs such as Warren Yazoo Mental health and other organizations that exist all over the state of Mississippi.
Jordan spoke most highly of a recent development, House Bill 996 passed by the Mississippi Legislature, which will provide the medication Narcan to First Responders and family members of those suffering from a drug addiction. Narcan is a spray applied through the nasal cavity that stops a person who has overdosed from going into respiratory failure, which would lead to death. Narcan will be available to Law Enforcement and Firefighters in areas with high cases of opioid abuse.
This recent development may save the lives of many people from drug related incidents and could help lead addicts to find help in one of many treatment facilities in the state.
