County seeks input at Opioid Listening Sessions

Oakland County is hosting a series of community-based opioid listening sessions aimed at gathering input from Oakland County residents about the impacts of the opioid epidemic; resources needed to prevent opioid misuse and supports needed for people in treatment and recovery; and how to best use funding from opioid settlements.

Oakland County is estimated to receive approximately $35 million over the next 20 years as a result of settlements reached in class action lawsuits filed against opioid prescription drug manufacturers and pharmacies.

“The scourge of opioid addiction has been devastating for so many Oakland County and Michigan families and this settlement funding will help to provide some justice for those who have been impacted by prescription addiction with intervention, treatment, and other services,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “We will work with residents, local health care systems, community partners, and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners to develop a plan to use these funds to address treatment and prevention of future addiction.”

Opioid Listening Sessions are open to people who live or work in Oakland County and are 18 years and older. Registration is recommended at oakgov.com/health or by calling Nurse on Call at 1-800-848-5533. Walk-ins are welcome.  Session locations, dates and times are listed below and are open-house style:

• Affirmations, 290 West Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, on September 13, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Road, Southfield, on September 18, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• Costick Center, 28600 Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills, on September 19, 10 to 11 a.m.

• White Lake Public Library, 11005 Elizabeth Lake Road, White Lake, on September 21, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• Oakland University, 318 Meadow Brook Rd, Rochester, on September 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In 2021, more than 75% of the nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States involved an opioid. During that same year, Oakland County had 180 drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, which was a 119.5% increase in synthetic opioid-involved deaths over 2020.

EMS administered 1,156 units of Naloxone to patients in Oakland County from June 2022 to June 2023, while Oakland County’s Harm Reduction program distributed 2,670 Narcan kits resulting in 188 reported rescues to date in 2023.

“Comprehensive substance use prevention, treatment and recovery efforts are vital to the health and safety of our community,” said Oakland County Health and Human Services Director, Leigh-Anne Stafford. “Together with community input, key partnerships, and opioid settlement funds, we anticipate providing life-saving services for years to come.”

Oakland County has many substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts underway, including free Narcan vending machines and ‘Save a Life’ stations highlighted on a new, interactive map; the first Harm Reduction and Syringe Service Program clinic in Oakland County; prescription drug disposal locations via Operation Medicine Cabinet; substance use prevention programs for schools and community organizations; and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for inmates at the Oakland County jail.

Additional information about opioids, harm reduction services, and substance use prevention programs can be found on the Health Division’s website at oakgov.com/health or by contacting Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533 or noc@oakgov.com. Nurse on Call is available 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. For up-to-date public health information, follow @publichealthOC on Facebook and X (formally known as Twitter).