U.S. Sen. John Boozman announces $5 million in federal funding for the Arkansas Youth Drug-Use Reduction Program, which the MidSouth organization of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will lead. Photographed on Oct. 9, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
Ellison Bryde was 17 years old when she died of fentanyl poisoning, her mother Kari Clay said Wednesday during an announcement about a $5 million grant for a new youth drug reduction program.
“She trusted someone she thought was a friend, and she thought had given her a Percocet,” Clay told a small group at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. “It was fentanyl. Pressed, stamped, counterfeit pills. … She did not have a history of drug use, she did not suffer from addiction. She was a kid, and she thought she was going to get a good night’s sleep from a safe pharmaceutical.”
Clay said her daughter loved to sing, was a barrel racer and had just started a new job as a hostess at U.S. Pizza in Bryant.
“People are dying at an alarming rate,” said Clay, who spoke as part of the Hope Movement Coalition. “Ellison was a bright young girl just entering her senior year of high school. She should not be a memory.”
Kari Clay holds a photo of her late daughter Ellison Bryde, who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2021. Photographed at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 9, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
UA Little Rock’s MidSOUTH program will use the federal funding to expand its training in schools to address prevention efforts related to drug and opioid usage among the state’s youth, organization co-director Greg Smith said Wednesday.
MidSOUTH is a training and education organization that equips people with tools to “empower oppressed and vulnerable populations and make community-wide improvement through continuing education” in child welfare, family support and addictions, according to its website.
Arkansas drug overdose deaths down 13% in 2023, preliminary data shows
More than 108,000 people in the United States died of a drug overdose in 2023, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same data shows Arkansas had 572 drug overdose deaths in 2023, though the figure could change as the data is finalized.
“Young people in our state are incredibly vulnerable to abuse and overdose of opioids and other prescriptions, and sadly even illicit fentanyl, oftentimes unintentional,” U.S. Sen John Boozman said during the announcement. “There’s been a year-long concerted effort to fight back against the opioid crisis from all levels of government.”
The $5 million in federal funding was earmarked as part of a larger appropriation bill Boozman announced for Arkansas defense, health and education projects in March.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
It’s not the only money Arkansas is receiving to combat addiction. Approximately $216 million from a national $26 billion opioid settlement will be received over 18 years. The funds are divided among the state, counties and cities, though the Arkansas Association of Counties and Arkansas Municipal League agreed to pool their funds and start the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (AORP).
Since it started accepting applications for funding in November 2022, AORP has distributed more than $26 million to cities and counties to address opioid-related prevention, recovery and treatment needs, AORP Director Kirk Lane said Wednesday.
“AORP’s mission is to build capacity and foster hope in areas that typically lack services and funding, focusing on filling gaps through collaborative partnerships,” Lane said.
Lane said that national data shows for every dollar spent on prevention efforts, it saves $11 later. He estimated the $5 million in federal funding will result in $60 million in savings.
Greg Smith, co-director of MidSOUTH, an organization at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock that aims to empower vulnerable populations. Smith spoke to a group gathered at the university on Oct. 9, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
Smith said the funds will expand existing training to School Resource Officers, teachers, counselors and staff at higher education institutions. Both private and public institutions will be included in their efforts.
“This … represents not just a financial investment, but a commitment to save lives, educate our youth and support families affected by this crisis,” Smith said.
The organization’s work will begin in the coming weeks, and it will also focus on building a curriculum and network of community resources to extend beyond the end of the funding.
Tom Fisher, the state drug director, spoke to the ongoing efforts by officials to combat the opioid crisis, from law enforcement to local coalitions.
“As a parent today, I really think we’re living in one of the most dangerous times ever,” Fisher said. “…20 or fewer years ago, just the idea that with your phone and at the touch of a button that a package could arrive at your door with pills or an illicit substance was unimaginable.”
Fisher also noted Act 811 of 2023, which requires public high schools and state-supported higher education institutions to carry opioid overdose rescue kids. Naloxone, which comes in different forms but is commonly known by the brand Narcan, is a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
“I think these programs can share the value and the benefit and the potential to avoid these pitfalls in children’s lives, which can only enrich their lives and their opportunities,” Fisher said.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.