Chances are that a family member or a friend of a friend are currently battling an addiction that no one knew was closer than we could imagine. Yes, even here in rural Cascade, Montana, we are not immune to a vastly growing poison that is taking the lives of our loved ones, and even the ones that prescribe the very pills that take away our physical pain. Cascade County Substance Abuse Prevention Alliance, along with The Sober Life, hosted a free community event held at Wedsworth Hall that opened our eyes to the dangers of Fentanyl and the abuse of it going on in Cascade County today. We all take pain killers after having surgery or being involved in an accident and carry on, right? Wrong! The leading opioid approved by FDA used for pain relief that is 100s of times more potent than Morphine is Fentanyl, and that is why it is dramatically ingested and abused by patients that causes an addiction. That addiction leads to the search of synthetic and clandestine-produced alternatives that lead to overdose deaths. They are cheap and easy to come by, and even those that prescribe it, such as doctors and pharmaceutical techs, have succumbed to its lethal poisoning. Fentanyl's is so potent that even the amount of 3 grains of salt can cause an overdose, coma, and respiratory depression; so do you think that street dealers are measuring these homemade tablets with such precision?

Local Ems, Cascade County Sheriff Deputy, and several important Cascade Community leaders attended this event, asking questions about statistics, the use and training of Narcan (Opioid Overdose reverser), and some suggested continued education on the subject. Most shared horrid eye opening first hand stories, statistics going on in our community and consequences that are extremely alarming, especially for everyone with children and teens in their households. Just in 2022, Cascade County reported 108 overdoses and 19 overdose deaths, and that is just the tip of the iceberg, as there were thousands of cases in the state of Montana alone in the same year. Seek out information, get educated and talk to your loved ones and friends on this matter. For continued and more in depth information, reach out to Cascade County SAPA, Sober Life, and the Cascade County Sheriff's Office.