What can be done about rash of youth overdoses in Washington County?

In response to an unusually high number of youth overdoses recently, a Washington County Health Department official is encouraging parents and guardians to talk to their children about drugs and for community members, regardless of whether they have children of their own, to secure medications at home.

That goes for whether the drugs are over-the-counter, prescription or illegal substances, said Victoria Sterling, director of the health department's behavioral health services division. She cited two intentional overdoses among youths in recent months that involved Tylenol and Benadryl, but added there have been considerably more reports of unintentional overdoses among the community's young in recent months.

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Whether you have guests over for a party or work crews in your home, it's important to lock up medications, Sterling said.

Sterling said the health department has free lockboxes and lock bags available at the division's 925 N. Burhans Blvd. office that people can pick up to securely store medications.

Community Rescue Service also has free medication safes available on its ambulances and can provide them when they respond to calls, whether or not those calls are drug-related, Deputy Chief Robert Buck said.

Ambulance crews are not asking what types of drugs could be stored in the safes, Buck said.

Emergency medical officials who have responded to countless overdose calls for patients of all ages for years witness the effects of illegal drugs in the community.

"We can't pretend it doesn't exist," Buck said.

Across the country, there is a lack of resources for youths' mental and behavioral health needs, Sterling said. Then you mix in the COVID-19 pandemic and "kids just don't have the resources for when they're struggling," she said.

"As parents and adults we need to have these conversations. It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said.

Sterling said the county's Substance Exposed Newborn Committee began discussions this week with community partners, including law enforcement and the Department of Social Services, regarding how multiple agencies can better engage families affected by an overdose without overwhelming them, Sterling said.

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Recent overdoses among Washington County youths

There were at least six unintentional overdoses among children under 18 in Washington County in May, Sterling said. She was not aware of the county ever having that many youth overdoses in a month.

Buck confirmed there has been an increase in youth overdoses in recent months.

Those include two 1-year-olds, one of whom overdosed on a suspected opioid and one whose overdose might have been related to drug abuse in the household, Sterling said. The other unintended overdose reports she received included two 13-year-olds, a 14-year-old, and a 16-year-old. The substances they ingested were not always detailed in the reports, though the 16-year-old was an alcohol abuse intoxication, she said.

As the behavioral health services director, Sterling gets reports of overdoses from various agencies, including Meritus Medical Center and law enforcement agencies. She also has been getting reports from EMS companies, which listed many of the recent youth overdoses.

The more recent overdoses, in June and July, involved a 4-year-old and two 18-year-olds. One of the 18-year-olds was homeless and had multiple overdoses related to heroin mixed with fentanyl over the Fourth of July weekend. The other young man overdosed on heroin and fentanyl in his vehicle outside a local hotel, Sterling said.

There also were two recent intentional overdoses among minors, one involving Tylenol and the other with Benadryl.

"All these kids survived. Thank goodness," Sterling said.

Realizing drugs are within children's reach and curiosity

Regarding the 1-year-olds, Sterling said, "It only takes three seconds for a child to ingest something they shouldn't."

As for the older youths, Sterling said people want to think their kids aren't experimenting, but young people experiment whether it's legal or illicit drugs or alcohol.

A youth might be handed a pill to try from a friend, with neither having any real idea what is in the pill, Sterling said.

"Fentanyl is in everything" these days, whether it's heroin or homemade/counterfeit pills, Sterling said.

Speaking about overdoses beyond just those in recent months, Buck said he's seen juveniles overdose on Tylenol or Benadryl previously. Every household has Tylenol, which can damage the liver, he said.

There also was a TikTok challenge related to how many Benadryl someone could take before falling asleep, Buck said. WIthin the past year, there was a local case in which someone took as many as 40 Benadryl pills, he said.

Buck said emergency medical officials also are fearful of marijuana or THC gummies. Local medical crews have seen cases such as someone very young overdosing on THC gummies by ingesting something within reach that looked like candy, and teens taking gummies because they know a parent has a marijuana prescription card.

In both scenarios, the children survived, he said.

Even with intentional overdoses among youths, Sterling said officials are finding youths were already using drugs or alcohol. Those substances put them at higher risk for depression and anxiety, which can lead to intentional overdoses, she said.

Substance use at a young age can affect brain development and puts youths at greater risk for becoming addicted later in life, Sterling said.

When there is an unintentional infant overdose at home, social services' Child Protective Services usually responds within two hours, Sterling said. Typically, the health department's crisis response team arrives the next day with a licensed clinical social worker. The crisis team is following up to see what support the family needs and how they can help with access to mental health or substance use treatment, she said.

With everyone coming to the house by the next day, it can be overwhelming for a family, particularly if the home was already chaotic before the incident, Sterling said.

Health, law enforcement and social service officials have begun discussing how they can better work together to help these families, keep the children safe and not overwhelm the families, Sterling said.

There are so many resources in the community to help people with substance abuse, Buck said.

"Sometimes we feel like we're treading water. But you can't stop trying," Buck said.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County experiencing rash of youth overdoses