{"id":8875,"date":"2017-08-11T15:44:24","date_gmt":"2017-08-11T19:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?p=8875"},"modified":"2022-01-12T12:12:09","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:12:09","slug":"orange-county-heroin-task-force-announces-new-tool-fight-heroin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/2017\/08\/orange-county-heroin-task-force-announces-new-tool-fight-heroin\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County Heroin Task Force Announces New Tool in Fight Against Heroin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mayor Teresa Jacobs and members of Orange County\u2019s Heroin Task Force \u00a0announced the creation and launch of the\u00a0Heroes Against Heroin<\/a>\u00a0campaign, one of\u00a037 targeted recommendations<\/a>\u00a0made by the Task Force.<\/p>\n

The website, www.OCFLHeroesAgainstHeroin.org<\/a>, includes valuable and life-saving information on how to help someone overcome opioid addiction. The website is set up to provide simple but detailed facts about the opioid abuse epidemic, including treatment resources for those dealing with addiction and educates the community on how to prevent substance use before it starts.<\/p>\n

The Orange County Heroin Task Force was convened in August 2015 by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, with Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings as co-chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely crucial that we use every tool at our disposal to fight this epidemic \u2013 not only through treatment and law enforcement interdiction, but also through prevention. It\u2019s vital that young people know how deadly opioids can be, and that they should never, ever try heroin or fentanyl \u2013 not even once,\u201d said Mayor Jacobs.\u00a0 \u201cThrough our newly launched Heroes Against Heroin website \u2013 a recommendation of the Orange County Heroin Task Force, which I convened in 2015, we are able to provide a wide variety of prevention, treatment and educational tools and resources.\u00a0 Together we\u2019re working to save families and loved ones from the heartbreak of addiction, and from the scourge of this heroin epidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opioid-related overdose deaths continue to claim lives. As of July 25, the Orange County Medical Examiner\u2019s Office had already attributed 66 deaths to heroin and fentanyl. The 2017 numbers confirm that deaths related to heroin and fentanyl are expected to exceed those in 2016.<\/p>\n

The Heroes Against Heroin website hosts information on local treatment options, prevention resources and Naloxone, also known as Narcan, which can quickly reverse the effects of a heroin overdose if given before permanent damage to the brain and other vital organs occurs.<\/p>\n

In addition to resources, the\u00a0Heroes Against Heroin Toolkit<\/a>, another product of the Task Force is now accessible online. Prior to launch, the toolkit was only available in hard copy format. The kit contains fact sheets, resource guides and a copy of the film \u201cChasing the Dragon,\u201d which depicts the powerful stories of individuals battling addiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cFar too many Americans do not get the treatment they need to fight addiction. Through our innovative partnership and participation with the Orange County Heroin Task Force, we are focusing our collective efforts as one community on addressing the heroin epidemic by sharing information, resources and tools with individuals who need treatment or are in recovery,\u201d said Maribeth Ehasz, Ph.D.,\u00a0Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Services at the University of Central Florida.\u00a0 \u201cWe are reaching out early and often to educational and family settings to help everyone understand the risks associated with drugs.\u00a0 By working together, we can save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Task Force was organized with several subcommittees to address areas in law enforcement, education and prevention, healthcare, and treatment.<\/p>\n

The Heroes Against Heroin website and campaign is a product of the Task Force\u2019s Education and Prevention Subcommittee, which was co-chaired by Maribeth Ehasz; Barbara M. Jenkins, Ed.D., Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools; Sanford Shugart, Ph.D., President of Valencia College with Jeff Goltz, Ph.D., Executive Dean representing Dr. Shugart.<\/p>\n

Signature recommendations already implemented by the Heroin Task Force include:<\/p>\n