PHOENIX — Each month, hundreds of people in Arizona overdose and dozens more die from opioids, according to the state health department.
Now, a new poll by KFF shows 66% of adults in the United States have either experienced addiction themselves or have a family member who has experienced addiction.
“I believe everybody knows somebody,” Kim Humphrey said.
Humphrey’s two sons became addicted to drugs, and have since become sober.
Now Humphrey is CEO of Parents of Addicted Loved Ones, a support group that holds meetings for family members of those who are struggling with addiction.
“I just don't know anybody that's not affected by it, whether it's your family or a friend. The key is, is whether or not you know it, and they're acknowledging it,” Humphrey said.
The same poll also found eight in 10 people would support having Narcan, which can reverse an opioid overdose, freely available like it is now at all Phoenix libraries.
“I would pick up a box,” Henry Hernandez said.
Hernandez knows the value of having the overdose reversal drug on hand, as he helped his friend three years ago while living in Wisconsin.
“I stopped, and I looked back, and he was like gone. Good thing that I had Narcan,” Hernandez said.
While Humphrey said having Narcan more widely available is better, he’s concerned about what it will mean as the epidemic evolves. Fentanyl is being mixed with other drugs, including xylazine.
According to the CDC, xylazine isn’t affected by the opioid overdose reversal drug. But, the CDC does still recommend that naloxone be given in suspected overdoses because xylazine is mixed with opioids.
“Unfortunately, if this continues, it’s going to make it much more difficult,” Humphrey said.
However, Humphrey believes there is still hope for those addicted.
“The more we can bring this out, the more we can help people realize that there is help and there is hope, you know, the better chance we have of combating this,” Humphrey said.
“As it just continues to grow and unfortunately, you know, take more lives with it.”
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