other ways to address opioid abuse. Though Elizabeth City now has a methadone clinic, audience members noted the area lacks a detox center for recovering addicts. Camden Board of Commissioners Chairman Clayton Riggs noted that Sentara Albemarle Medical Center once had a dedicated, secure area for mental health and drug patients, which he suggested could help address that need. Forum facilitator Jan King Robinson, a former administrator for the hospital before Sentara Healthcare took over, said the hospital found that space was costly and saw too little use. Addressing the detox center issue, Elizabeth City City Manager Rich Olson said it's extremely difficult to open standalone detox centers. Based on his experience in other communities, property owners strongly oppose detox centers being built near them, he said. Audience members also appeared to agree that more anti-drug education is needed in schools. One example is the “Keepin' It Real” program used in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools and other school districts. Interviewed after the forum, ECPPS Superintendent Larry Cartner said Keepin' It Real helps kids resist peer pressure to use drugs, and also has an officer trained in the DARE program who's currently assigned to work at River Road Middle School. Cartner said the schools want to help instruct kids against drug abuse, but they also face intense “competition for time” given their instructional goals and other things people want them to teach. He said ECPPS officials will likely discuss with the Pasquotank Sheriff's Department what their school resource officers can do to help with the opioid abuse problem. Cartner said the district has not yet used the “Drugs Uncovered” program that ARHS has promoted in other local schools to educate parents about the signs of
drug abuse by their children. However, he said the challenge will be getting busy or otherwise unavailable parents to attend. Parents who are already well engaged would be most likely to attend, he said. Following the meeting, ARHS Director Battle Betts said counties might look now to hold forums on opioid abuse geared toward the public. He said ARHS would be ready to assist with any such meetings. “ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, MORE PEOPLE OVERDOSE AND DIE FROM OPIOIDS AND OTHER PRESCRIPTION NARCOTICS THAN DIE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.” -Donnie Varnell, a former State Bureau of Investigation agent 33
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