With the massive increase in heroin use and the rise in overdoses hitting Northern Kentucky, the City of Park Hills is teaming up with Kenton County, The Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, PDS and the Northern Kentucky Health Department to educate citizens on how to protect themselves, their friends and family, and their community. Working together with county organizations, the City of Park Hills will join the campaign with a door-to-door drive on Saturday, July 8 to distribute nearly 3,000 informational door hangers to residents throughout the city. Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann and Mayor Matt Mattone will be joined by volunteers to canvass neighborhoods. Volunteers are encouraged to meet at Covington Catholic High School (1600 Dixie Highway, Park Hills) at 9 a.m..
“Park Hills is a small, tight knit community, and we all know friends or family members who have been impacted by opioid addiction. Park Hills is proud to take part in this important initiative that Judge Knochelmann and the County have undertaken.” said Mayor Mattone.
Kenton County, in collaboration with the Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, and Boone and Campbell Counties, has created a regional heroin helpline to provide quick response for people in need.
“The Northern Kentucky Addiction Helpline is a critical tool in helping those struggling with opiate and heroin addition,” said Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann. “Streamlining access to treatment saves lives, and bringing our community together to spread the word about the helpline is an important part of this effort.” The helpline number is 859-415-9280, and it is staffed 24 hours per day.
St. Elizabeth Medical Center experienced 1,548 overdose emergencies in 2016, over 200 drug-
related deaths, and more than 100 babies born to addicted mothers. The crisis is striking every city and neighborhood, regardless of socio-economic profile. Community partners working with county leaders have taken the following steps so far to tackle the growing problem:
Creating the Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, led by Kim Moser, to coordinate how our region attacks this epidemic.
Establishing a nationally recognized substance abuse treatment program at the Kenton County Detention Center that is currently working with 125 men and women, making it one of the largest treatment facilities in Northern Kentucky.
Starting the Regional Heroin Helpline – 859-415-9280 – that has already been recognized as a model in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for helping residents access treatment
Adding Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties to the federally-designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), to make additional resources available to our local law enforcement agencies.
Establishing a Quick Response Team, mixing the best qualities of multiple first responder agencies, to intervene with individuals who have previously overdosed.
For more information, or to volunteer to distribute door hangers on Saturday, July 8, RSVP to Kenton County Fiscal Court’s Digital Communications Coordinator Sara Sgantas at Sara.Sgantas@KentonCounty.org or by calling (859) 392-1400.