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Health Department Video Series To Educate Public On The National, Local Opioid Crisis

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health is rolling out more than a dozen videos aimed at educating the public on the growing opioid crisis. The video series titled, “The Evolution of the Opioid Crisis – Local Perspective on the Epidemic that’s Sweeping the Nation”, was made possible thanks to the department’s state and local partners including but not limited to the Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Three Rivers Ambulance Authority, Fort Wayne Fire Department, Fort Wayne-Allen County Executive Board of Health, McMillen Center, Bowen Center, Allen County Superior Court Judge Wendy Davis, and several other professionals and residents who shared personal stories regarding the opioid and heroin epidemic.

"Allen County is not immune to the national opiate crisis, Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan said, “We too are seeing a significant increase in opiate addiction, accidental overdose deaths, transmission of HIV and Hepatitis and other adverse social and economic outcomes related to use and misuse of prescription and illegal opioids. This video series provides an opportunity to hear about the fundamentals and magnitude of this problem from local and state experts."

Thanks to Access Fort Wayne, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health was able to record and edit the video series. All of the videos are around five minutes long and focused on specific issues including the scope of the opiate problem in Allen County, perspectives from the State Health Commissioner, Indiana Attorney General, Allen County Health Commissioner, first responders, an emergency room doctor, and a criminal court judge, what a syringe services program is and is not, addiction, benefits of narcan, how to dispose of unused and/or unwanted opiate medications, etc.