The MCSO is proud of the hard work they are doing in the community to get the word out about substance abuse is the community. Sheriff Larry McNeil and his staff want Marlboro County to know there is help and resources available.
Lauren Monica | Herald Advocate
Speaking at the event, Marlboro County Coroner De’Aron Smith said, “As the coroner I see the end result. Together I know we can make a difference, and we must, because ultimately this is a Marlboro County problem.”
“We do it because of what happens each and every day in our community and in all the communities around us, and that is that we have a problem with drugs. There’s no secret about it. The biggest problem when people use drugs is the outcome, they either end up dead or in jail, and that is no place I like to see people to be,” said Sheriff Larry McNeil.
Drug Awareness and Prevention Specialist Santoria Young goes to the jail and the schools to educate on the dangers of substance abuse and how best to avoid common pitfalls.
BENNETTSVILLE — Committed to keeping the streets of Marlboro County clean, Sheriff Larry McNeil has been busy organizing several opioid awareness presentations across the county to help educate and provide resources for those in the community who are or who may know of someone dealing with any type of substance abuse issues.
The latest presentation was held at Victory Church in Bennettsville last Saturday, featuring several guest speakers, and attendees were given the opportunity to enter a raffle to win $50 and $25 gift cards, just in time for the holiday season.
McNeil says is also going into the schools in hopes of reaching kids before they experiment with unhealthy substances. He says he finds kids as young as in sixth grade are already encountering some type of illegal substance, be it at home in the medicine cabinet, introduced by a friend, or have seen usage on social media sites.
“We do it because of what happens each and every day in our community and in all the communities around us, and that is that we have a problem with drugs. There’s no secret about it. The biggest problem when people use drugs is the outcome, they either end up dead or in jail, and that is no place I like to see people to be,” said the Sheriff.
McNeil says the number of overdoses in the community are on the rise and the MCSO has also seen a spike in drug related break-ins as well as persons made homeless by their substance dependency issues.
“Nobody is exempt from it. I know my family isn’t and I would doubt that any of y’all are. We were hoping this room would be filled today, and it really needs to be,” lamented the Sheriff, adding, “Nobody thinks it is a problem until it affects them and then it is a problem. Why wait? This is for free.”
Drug Awareness and Prevention Specialist Deputy Santoria Young said she traveled around to several local pharmacies to gain the number of prescriptions written on average for opioids in the county. Only three pharmacies were willing to share their numbers with Deputy Young, who discovered one local pharmacy filled 2,163 scripts in one month, adding they do include Narcan, a life-saving medication that counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose. Narcan is a nasal spray that can be administered into one of the nostrils of an overdosed person. One spray should begin to revive the individual within minutes, but another dose may be needed if the patient remains unresponsive. Other pharmacies dispensed 538 scripts, and another 1,792.
“That may not seem like a lot, but Marlboro County has a population of 25,000. Just from these three pharmacies alone there was 4,493 prescriptions distributed out,” said Young, adding, she feels these numbers are especially frightening because many of these prescriptions are written for elderly individuals who may have young children in the home or someone in the home who already suffers with some type of substance dependency. Young pointed out in those types of situations, the person who truly needs the medication may not be getting it because it could be being taken or sold by someone else in the home.
Young praised pharmacies for choosing to include life saving Narcan with opioid prescriptions because she says the medications themselves can make people forgetful, causing the possibility of an overdose to greatly increase.
As part of her work as a drug awareness and prevention specialist, she goes into jail and visits with inmates who suffer from substance abuse related issues. Additionally, Deputy Young has a strong presence in the school system.
Currently, Young operates two programs, one is a three-week operation to prevent drug use in young children. She says the program focuses on teaching students the difference between good medications and harmful medications. Another program the Sheriff’s Office is implementing is Too Good for Drugs, a program for fourth through high school grade students that teaches youth about the dangers of alcohol consumption, vaping and other dependency dangers.
“Everything starts from somewhere,” said Young, explaining why the sheriff’s office is so focused on reaching students when they are still young. “We teach them what to do if someone offers them something. Most kids are easily influenced and don’t know how to say no.”
Katrina Taylor-Stephens is the Marlboro County Services Coordinator with the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault, speaking on behalf of her organization, she said a lot of domestic violence is resultant of substance abuse and she wants the community to know they are here to help.
“We believe it is good for people to have a safety plan,” she said. “We know every situation and every individual is different.” Taylor-Stephens added that the Pee Dee Coalition offers several services to those in need and all anyone needs to do is come by their office, the door is always open, and they are located at 108 S. Parsonage Street in Bennettsville, though she points out they also have several satellite offices throughout the region.
Marlboro County Coroner De’Aron Smith also spoke.
“As the coroner I see the end result,” he said, adding that since January the county has had eight confirmed overdoses and three possible. “Together I know we can make a difference, and we must, because ultimately this is a Marlboro County problem.”
According to statistics shared during the presentation and compiled from the National Poison Control Center, the numbers are not improving and kids at younger ages are experimenting with harmful, potentially addictive substances. Overdoses and drug related crimes are also shown to be on the rise in neighboring Dillon, Chesterfield, and Darlington counties in South Carolina, as well as in Robeson, Richmond and Scotland counties in North Carolina. The suicide rate has also been steadily increasing along with the substance abuse rates.
One main takeaway from the presentation is how easily substances can be hidden from even the most diligent parent or officer conducted search. Items such as a keychain, an ink pen, a highlighter, markers, jewelry, ChapStick, hair scrunchies, all items that are marketed and sold to conceal. Writing instruments doubling as vapes cleverly write and highlight like a normal school writing utensil would.
Some of the more addictive and dangerous substances on the market are gummies, vape concentrates, nitrous oxide, fentanyl, kratom, kava, ZaZa, tianeptine, v-play, and infused beverages. Many of the items, if not most items, sold in a vape shop are unregulated by the FDA, they said.
Sheriff McNeil says the MCSO will be holding another Opioid Awareness Presentation in Clio December 7, the time is still to be announced.
There are many resources available locally to assist those interested in making a change. Deputy Santoria Young is available at 843-897-4079. The SAMHSA National helpline number is 1-800-662-4357. A statewide sponsored support line, SC HOPES, is available by calling 1-844-724-6737. Additionally, there is online help through https://dph.sc.gov/ or through the SC Dept. of Public Health at https://www.daodas.sc.gov/- .