Narcan comes to little free pantries

Harm reduction efforts climb with overdose rates

Ozias and Tribe partner in stocking food-sharing boxes with drugs. Clallam County is leading in all the wrong ways. Port Angeles wins a title no one is proud of. Longtime resident writes a “Dear John” letter to her city. Tribe’s message: Support our schools while we defund them.

Jolene Kron, the executive director of Salish Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization (SBH-ASO), told county commissioners at Monday's work session, “You guys are very forthcoming in harm reduction in this county. Kitsap County is further behind the ball, I think, when it comes to access to harm reduction. Jefferson County has put a lot of funding and support in their region as well and expanded their program fairly significantly the last couple years.”

“Harm reduction” refers to a public safety approach for drug users, aiming to reduce risks like infection, overdose, and disease transmission while individuals continue using drugs. It differs from drug treatment, which focuses on eliminating drug use and addressing addiction long-term.

In our area, harm reduction methods include distributing kits for rectal drug administration, instructions for shooting up safely to avoid overdose, rubber straps to aid in vein location, snorting kits, and Naloxone Hydrochloride nasal spray (commonly known as Narcan), an overdose-reversal drug.

A Facebook post from June 2023 shared images of drug-related paraphernalia found during street cleanups. The post read, “What the following pictures depict are our tax dollars flying out the window, landing on every street corner, in our Parks, woods, creeks, etc. We pick them up most days we are out cleaning. These pictures represent what I found in 2 days of cleaning! The boxes of Narcan, I keep & give to LEO's [Law Enforcement Officers], These items are handed out FREE at the county Needle Exchange!”

SBH-ASO, located in Kitsap County, differs from Peninsula Behavioral Health (PBH), based in Port Angeles. SBH-ASO serves Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties, while PBH operates only in eastern Clallam County. SBH-ASO does not provide direct services but instead contracts with agencies like PBH to offer therapy, case management, crisis intervention, and psychiatric care.

There’s another difference, too.

Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias serves on SBH-ASO’s executive board. The Jamestown Tribe also sits on its board and represents all tribal sovereign nations in the three-county service area.

Last year, SBH-ASO distributed nearly 800 Naloxone kits in Clallam County.

They’ve also created a Naloxone map, which helps drug users locate Narcan kits. Anyone can access information, including location and directions, via Google Maps by scanning a QR code with their phone.

”We’re actually partnered with the food pantries,” explained Kron. “So they are actually putting Naloxone into those food pantries, and we are providing that as an organization.”

Kron also discussed specific funding for Clallam County. Hundreds of thousands of dollars from opioid settlements with companies like CVS, Walgreens, and Johnson & Johnson are allocated to support harm reduction efforts.

SBH-ASO’s role is to ensure Clallam County’s funding plans align with state guidelines. “After that, it’s up to the county to determine what works best for the community,” Kron said.

Commissioner Ozias emphasized the importance of tracking outcomes. “We need to understand whether we're seeing a decrease in overdose deaths and other key metrics.”

Key metrics

Metrics are already available. Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols, who served as the county coroner until last year, presented data to the Charter Review Commission on Monday showing a near quadrupling of drug overdose deaths from 2018 to 2023.

Graph supplied by former Clallam County Coroner Mark Nichols.

According to a report from KONP last April, “Clallam County ranks among the top three counties in Washington state with the highest overdose death rates, recording 59.3 deaths per 100,000 residents from June 2023 to June 2024. This rate places Clallam just behind King County, with 62.2 deaths per 100,000, and Grays Harbor, which leads with 77.6.”

From myclallamcounty.com

Clallam County not only leads its neighbors in harm reduction efforts, but it also surpasses them in overdose deaths. It seems that the County’s efforts to make it easier for addicts to use drugs may be linked to the sharp rise in drug-related fatalities.

Port Angeles wins top spot

In a recent TikTok video, Port Angeles was ranked the “Worst Place to Live in Washington.” The video attributes this to harsh weather and seasonal depression but also highlights the area's 14.6% poverty rate and median household income, which is 28% below the national average. The unemployment rate is 5.6%, 19% higher than the national rate, and the closure of several major employers further exacerbates the situation.

Farewell Port Angeles

The uncontrolled spending, rising property taxes, increasing fees, and crime are proving too much for some locals. One longtime resident posted this to Facebook:

“Dear Port Angels,

It’s been real. But, alas, I must break with thee, break with thee.

You were so good when we started 31 years ago. You helped me raise the kids, found me the most amazing employers that allowed me to thrive and, gave me the honor of sitting on 5 of your most important borads. I really felt like we were giving each other our all.

However, you haven’t been holding up your end of the deal these last few years. You’ve allowed your ugly side to show. You have started to ignore your fine people and businesses that work so hard to make you great. You no longer make me feel safe and nurtured. I have to always be on alert when I am near you. It’s exhausting.

So, I must say good PA, thank you for giving me the dearest friends a gal could ask for.

Hello, Arizona. Ready for the next chapter.”

Another one bites the trust

For those calling it quits, there will be less of Clallam County to say “goodbye” to. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has announced that the Jamestown Tribe intends to convert more land into tribal trust, permanently removing it from the tax rolls. The public is invited to appeal this decision, but the notice does not specify how much land will be converted or where it is located.

The land in question may be these 10 parcels recorded with the County earlier this year.

Here is a map of the parcels clustered in the Blyn area:

These parcels, marked with blue pins, are slated to be converted into tribal trust land.

When the property at 771 Old Blyn Highway becomes trust land, the library will lose $236.89 annually, the hospital will lose $613.93, and Fire District #3 will lose $1,198.83.

Converting this one property into trust land will save the Jamestown Corporation $6,445.94.

Although the conversion of this property will result in a $3,042.47 reduction in funding for our schools, the Jamestown Tribe still encouraged voters to approve the school district's bond and levy.