Rogers State University, in conjunction with local non-profit Light of Hope, will host a town hall next month to raise awareness about the fentanyl crisis and its negative impact on families across the region.
Slated for Tuesday, Sept. 10, the event will feature a panel of experts to discuss the importance of awareness about the growing fentanyl problem. The Fentanyl Awareness Town Hall will take place from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the ballroom of the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center on Rogers State University’s Claremore campus.
“This town hall is a collaborative effort between the university and Light of Hope, and one which we feel is very important, as this fentanyl issue is something that affects so many lives in Claremore, Rogers County, and the rest of the country,” explained event moderator and RSU Drug Prevention Coordinator Roxanne Bilby.
Panelists for the event will include Light of Hope Board President Steve Bregier; Rogers County District Attorney Matt Ballard; Chief Investigator for the 12th District Attorney’s Office Wayne Stinnett; Deputy Director for Rogers County Emergency Management Steve Massey; Owner/Operator of Efficient Energy Solutions, LLC, Kenny Brand; and St. Francis Emergency Room Social Worker Kayla Chambers.
“One of our special guests will be coming from a place of lived experience with fentanyl, and – for our panelists on the law enforcement spectrum – they will be bringing lived experience from the other side of that, having seen first-hand the damage and lives ruined by fentanyl,” Bilby said.
According to Light of Hope Executive Director Nancy Phelps, the non-profit has held similar town halls around the state, but they felt it important to host one in Claremore to address the fentanyl issue facing the immediate community.
“The problem is just as serious, if not more, in Claremore and Rogers County as it is in the rest of the state,” she said. “It’s projected by one of our panelists that if it’s not controlled, at some point, it could be our next pandemic.”
This event is free and open to the public.
“We invite students, families, members of the public – everyone, really – to attend, to become aware of and learn more about this matter,” Phelps said. “So many of the fentanyl overdoses that potentially cause deaths are accidental. People may not realize at the time that something so simple as a pain reliever, depending on who has handled that, could be contaminated with fentanyl.
“For example, at one of our previous town halls, there was a mother who spoke about her son who was going to college in California,” she continued. “He’d been given a Tylenol by someone in one of his classes which had been contaminated by fentanyl and he passed away. This isn’t just a problem that affects the addicted or those involved in illegal drugs, it can impact literally anyone.”
“Many think this will never impact their lives directly,” Bilby said, “but there are so many stories of lives lost unexpectedly. Our hope is that through awareness and education about the problem, people can be informed about how to make healthy and safe choices as well as be empathetic to how this has impacted our community.”
Current and local statistics and data regarding the fentanyl crisis will be shared at the event. Depending upon time, the town hall event will conclude with a Q&A session.
Light of Hope is a nonprofit ministry dedicated to assisting and educating individuals and families struggling with substance abuse and misuse.
For more information about the town hall, drug prevention resources, or RSU’s Prevention on the Hill campus coalition, contact Bilby at [email protected].