STATEHOUSE REPORT | ISSUE 22.15 | April 14, 2023
NEWS: Fentanyl overdose deaths rise 35+% in South Carolina
NEWS BRIEFS: S.C. poll shows Trump on top by wide margin
LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: So much winning
COMMENTARY, Brack: A speed round of a dozen opinions for S.C.
SPOTLIGHT: AT&T
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Wooden building
Fentanyl overdose deaths rise 35+% in South Carolina
Staff reports | Illicit fentanyl is taking lives at a startling rate across South Carolina, energizing local public health professionals to say raising awareness that the narcotic can be present in recreational drugs is key to protecting people from a tragic end.
“Mental health and substance use disorders are at the forefront of public health concerns around the nation, and we at DHEC — along with our many essential partners — are committed to stopping this disturbing trend in drug overdose deaths by connecting people with the help they need and deserve,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, public health director at the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.
“We all have a role to play in ending the stigma surrounding substance use disorders and being a conduit for those who need help but can’t or won’t take those first steps to reach out.”
According to data released by the agency in February, the total number of drug overdose deaths in South Carolina from 2020 to 2021 increased by more than 25% — from 1,734 deaths to 2,168. By comparison in 2012, there were only 573 drug overdose deaths in the state.
But deaths from fentanyl occurred at a higher rate: “From 2020 to 2021, drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased more than 35% in South Carolina, from 1,100 to 1,494 deaths,” the agency said in a statement. “Fentanyl was involved in more than two-thirds of all opioid-involved overdose deaths in the state in 2021.”
Dr. Chanda Funcell, director of the Charleston County Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS), specifically pointed the finger at illicit fentanyl. Legal fentanyl is a synthetic opioid regulated by the Food and Drug Administration approved as a pain reliever and anesthetic.
“Fentanyl is so pervasive now that it is in everything from [other] opioids, methamphetamines, cocaine, counterfeit pills and marijuana,” Funcell said. “Frequently, people are unaware that the substance they are using contains fentanyl.”
Sara Goldsby, director of the state DAODAS, agreed: “Other drugs are being laced with fentanyl — without the user’s knowledge — which can cause a fatal overdose even in a small quantity. If there is a possibility of coming into contact with an unsafe drug, it’s important to have naloxone on hand in case of an overdose.”
Big counties have bigger problems
Greenville, Horry and Charleston counties had the most number of people die from fentanyl overdoses with 194, 198 and 139 deaths respectively, according to a 2021 report.
“This is impacting so many individuals and families in our community,” Funcell said. “Countless people I talk to know someone who has an opioid-use disorder or has been impacted by an overdose. The opioid epidemic has crossed every single demographic.”
She said talking about the crisis with one another makes a huge difference.
“We all have an important role to play to help save lives in our community,” she added. “Opening up the conversation around the dangers of fentanyl will help … break down the stigma around substance-use disorders and treatment, which will in turn help reduce barriers for people needing help.”
The opioid epidemic’s impact
Charleston resident Kat Orr told sister publication Charleston City Paper this week that her daughter Isabella died in 2017 at the age of 23 from illicit fentanyl poisoning. Orr said her daughter struggled with a substance-use disorder following the extraction of her wisdom teeth, after which she was prescribed oxycontin as pain relief.
After her daughter’s death Orr started Izzy’s Army Facebook page to serve as an information hub for the community.
“I started this page to help make families aware of what is going on,” Orr said. “Izzy’s Army is in honor of my daughter, to be her voice and the voice of others who have been poisoned by illicit fentanyl. … I know Isabella is on this journey with me.”
College students warned to be super-wary
“There has always been an inherent health and safety risk when using illicit substances, but fentanyl is so lethal in such small doses that the risk has increased significantly,” said counselor Rachel Goulet, a alcohol and other drug outreach and prevention specialist at the College of Charleston.
The college offers Narcan training for faculty, staff and students that teaches participants how to recognize the signs of an overdose. Narcan, a life-saving medication formally known as naloxone, is an injectable or inhalant solution that is safe to use even if someone is not overdosing on narcotics.
Goulet said the college also is in the process of developing a fentanyl test strip distribution program and has conducted an awareness campaign over the last two years on the rise and risk of fentanyl to provide harm reduction tips and resources for students.
“Any student who uses an illicit substance [such as] cannabis, prescription pills not directly received from a pharmacy, cocaine, heroin, meth [and] MDMA (ecstasy or Molly) is at risk of fentanyl OD,” Goulet said. “One single use can be lethal. The notion of ‘experimenting with drugs’ and the relative safety of that has gone out the window with the introduction of fentanyl in the states.”
Depression, anxiety tie into substance-use issues
Mental health plays a major role in substance abuse, said Jennifer Brush, executive director of the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center. And one in five adults live with a mental health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Untreated mental health issues [such as] depression [and] anxiety can lead to self-medication (drug and alcohol use),” Brush said, “which can then lead to even more severe health and other problems if untreated. Many people live with co-existing disorders (mental health and drug and alcohol issues), because they either don’t know where to go for help or the stigma around treatment is too great.”
She said it’s important people normalize talking about their struggle with a substance-use disorder and their need for treatment and recovery.
“Getting treatment is nothing to be ashamed of,” she said. “Mental health [related] alcohol and drug treatment is similar to treatment for diabetes, heart issues, etc., except it has to do with a different part of your body — your brain.”
Get connected to resources
If you are in a mental health crisis, call The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) at 833-364-2274. Take the SCDMH self-check questionnaire at scdmh.net. The National Alliance on Mental Health has resources at nami.org.
State drug support specialists also help engage at-risk individuals with treatment and recovery solutions and its medication-assisted treatment program utilizes all FDA-approved medications to address opioid-use disorders, she said.
You can find locations with naloxone available at JustPlainKillers.com. Charleston Center’s helpline can be reached at (843) 722-0100. The statewide helpline for mental health and substance-use disorders is 988.
You can also visit recovery community organizations South Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition at SouthCarolinaHRC.org and Wake Up Carolina at WakeUpCarolina.org.
Chelsea Grinstead, a reporter with the Charleston City Paper, wrote the original version of this story.
- Have a comment? Send to feedback@statehousereport.com
S.C. poll shows Trump on top by wide margin
Staff reports | A new poll by Winthrop University in Rock Hill showed two in five S.C. Republicans are sticking with former President Donald Trump as their early favorite for South Carolina’s 2024 Republican presidential primary. But a majority of GOP voters favor Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and other candidates.
Meanwhile this week, a second South Carolinian with a national profile, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, took a step closer to joining the presidential race by launching an exploratory committee.
In the Winthrop Poll, Trump garnered 41% of support among GOP respondents, while DeSantis got 20% and Haley placed third at 18%. Some 7% said they preferred Scott while others nabbing single-digit poll results were former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.
Other results from the poll:
- Marijuana legalization is supported by 76% of South Carolina respondents.
- Legalization of sports gambling is favored by half of those who responded.
- More people disapprove of banning drag shows (47%) than those who do (37%).
- More than two in three respondents disagreed or were undecided that the federal government should declare the U.S. a Christian nation.
- Some 56% of respondents said they felt same-sex marriages should be recognized as valid, compared to 32% who said they didn’t.
In other recent news:
Senate approves bond reform. Anyone in South Carolina who is charged with a violent crime or gun-involved felony while awaiting trial for additional and similar charges would see their bond immediately revoked under a unanimously passed bill from the state Senate. The bill likely will go to a conference committee with the House. Earlier in the week, Gov. Henry McMaster used a recent shooting at Isle of Palms as a backdrop to pressing the legislature to pass bond reform.
Officials planning for millions in expanding broadband. South Carolina is anticipating at least $100 million in federal money for statewide broadband expansion by the end of the year. But to get the money, state officials are working together to create a five-year plan that will lay out areas with the greatest needs, and what those needs are.
S.C. requiring fact-based school lessons on fate has bipartisan support. State senators advanced legislation that clears up existing law prohibiting racist lessons in South Carolina classrooms after removing sections that revolve around the brutal and ugly parts of history.
$250K payment part of settlement with former agency director. The state has agreed to pay $250,000 as part of an agreement for a wrongful termination case by the former director of the state agency that provides services for disabled and special needs adults.
So much winning
Cartoonist Robert Ariail this week takes off on former President Donald Trump and his continuing saga. Ariail often interprets things a little differently, but always has an interesting take on what’s going on. Love the cartoon? Hate it? What do you think: feedback@statehousereport.com.
A speed round of a dozen opinions for S.C.
By Andy Brack | Readers last year seemed to enjoy a commentary of a rapid-fire round of opinions on South Carolina issues. So we thought we’d offer it again. Here are some things to think about – and perhaps pressure your state representatives about:
Expand Medicaid. South Carolina lawmakers have resisted expanding Medicaid for years because it’s something former President Barack Obama came up with. North Carolina just became the 30th state to expand the program – a move that will provide health coverage for hundreds of thousands and bring billions to the state. Time for S.C. to wake up and do the same.
Appoint a poet laureate. Marjory Wentworth served as the state’s poet laureate for 17 years, resigning in October 2020. Gov. Henry McMaster still hasn’t reappointed a successor. Failing to fill this honorary position shows a continuing disdain for the arts. Do better, governor.
Cut the digital divide. South Carolina is about to have $40 million over four years to provide Internet access to people who still don’t have it. Let’s make sure we do this right so we can get the Palmetto State wired to help expand telehealth and knowledge.
Bond reform. It’s a hot-button issue to stop the “revolving door” of criminals who commit more crimes when out on bond. That’s fine. But have you thought about where you’re going to keep them? Jails and prisons are already pretty packed. Think it through.
Protect elections. Some Republicans want to require South Carolinians to register to vote by party, which would allow only those people to vote in a party’s primary elections. That’s not fair to the hundreds of thousands of independent voters who now can pick one primary or the other. This proposal smacks of electioneering by the GOP and should be stopped cold in its tracks.
Medical marijuana. South Carolina keeps fiddling with passage of a medical marijuana law that would relieve suffering and pain for thousands. Yes, it’s marijuana. But show some compassion to help people who are hurting. Approve it, regulate it and make some tax bucks off of it. Stop dilly-dallying.
Tax reform. South Carolina has avoided real tax reform that looks at everything – sales, property and income taxes, as well as the gazillion fees that generate revenue. Times are pretty good. Let’s finally – finally – do comprehensive tax reform that smart folks in the legislature have been seeking for decades to boost tax fairness and spread the tax burden.
Save more land. The state should spend more money to protect land to curb developers from gobbling up more special places. Remember what they say about land – they’re not making any more of it so once you screw it up, it’s gone.
Thwart vouchers. Using public money for private education is bad policy and bad for public education. Resist.
Protect democracy. With all of the threats our democracy faces these days, lawmakers need to do more to help citizens understand how precious it is. Thwart autocracy and promote democracy with broad public service campaigns for adults and more civics education in schools.
Charleston loophole. Pass the Charleston loophole to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. It’s been almost eight years since a home-grown terrorist murdered Sen. Clementa Pinckney and eight others in a Charleston church. The least you can do to honor the Emanuel Nine is to pass sensible gun reform.
Split DHEC. The state Department of Health and Environmental Control is too bulky and often too arrogant for its own good. Legislators should follow through on a plan to split it into at least two separate agencies – health and environment – and place other functions with other agencies, as needed.
Andy Brack, recognized as the state’s best columnist in 2022 by the S.C. Press Association, is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to feedback@statehousereport.com.
AT&T
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Send us your thoughts
We encourage you to send in your thoughts about policy and politics impacting South Carolina. We’ve gotten some letters in the last few weeks – some positive, others nasty. We print non-defamatory comments, but unless you provide your contact information – name and hometown, plus a phone number used only by us for verification – we can’t publish your thoughts.
- Have a comment? Send your letters or comments to: feedback@statehousereport.com. Make sure to provide your contact details (name, hometown and phone number for verification. Letters are limited to 150 words.
Wooden building
Here’s yet another old building. What is it? Where is it and is it still around?Send us your guess – as well as your name and hometown – to feedback@statehousereport.com.
Last week’s photo, “Another old building,” showed the main office of the former Union-Buffalo Mill Company in Union County. Photo via the Library of Congress.
Sleuth Allan Peel shares “the Buffalo Mill was a cotton mill built between 1901 and 1902. It was one of six mills that were constructed across Union County at the turn of the 20th century. It became the town’s main source of income and employed over 900 workers during its peak production years and prior to its decommissioning in the 1930’s depression era.
“The town of Buffalo was named after near-by Buffalo Lick Springs, which according to local legend, attracted herds of buffalos that roamed the region during the S.C. colonial era of the mid-17th century. The buffalo would seek out ‘mineral-lick’ (aka salt-lick) from the mineral-rich rocks that were in the area.”
Others who correctly identified the old mill building were George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Jay Altman and Elizabeth Jones, both of Columbia; Bill Segars of Hartsville; David Lupo of Mount Pleasant; Frank Bouknight of Summerville; and Pat Keadle of Wagener.
>> Send us a mystery picture. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
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