WEBVTT MARKIE: IN OUR STATE OF ADDICTION COVERAGE TODAY, IT’S A NEW YEAR, BUT WITH THE SAME STRESSES AND MAJOR HEALTH ISSUES ACROSS THE GLOBE. THIS MORNING, WE’RE JOINED BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC INFORMATION FROM THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, JEFF DISMUKES. WE’RE LOOKING AT OPIOID USE, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION, AND SIGNS OF SOMEONE DEALING WIT SUICIDE, SADNESS, OR DEPRESSIO A LOT OF PICK TOPICS TO GET TO THIS MORNING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. LET’S START WITH OPIOIDS. IS OKLAHOMA STILL IN CRISIS MODE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT? ABSOLUTELY. WE STILL HAVE HIGH RATES OF OVERDOSE, MISUSE, USE OF OPIOIDS. NOW, THAT SAID, WE ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. OKLAHOMA IS ONE OF A COUPLE STAT THAT HAVE MADE DRASTIC DROPS IN OVERDOSE DEATH RATES. THAT IS GREAT BUT WE NEED TO GO FARTHER. MARKIE: HANDED ME GET TO SEEING THIS DRASTIC DROP AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? WE HAVE TAKEN A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THESE THINGS. PART OF IT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION OUTREACH, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. A LOT OF TRAINING WITH DOCTORS TO LOOK AT AND UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES. ALSO THERE’S BEEN TREATMENT. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME FEDERA FUNDS OUT THERE, TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR TREATMENT IN THE STATE, PARTICULARLY FOR OPIOID ADDICTION. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE SOMETHING CALLED MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, A TREATMENT TARGETED AT OPIATES. IT IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT THAT WORKS, AND WE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND THAT STATEWIDE. MARKIE I PROBABLY SHOULD’VE LET WITH THIS, THE CATALYST. HOW DID WE GET TO THE SPOT TO BEGIN WITH? >> A LOT OF THINGS. I DON’T THINK YOU CAN PUT YOUR FINGER ON ANY ONE THING. SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION ISSUES HAVE IMPACTED OKLAHOMA FOR A LONG TIME, MANY SUBSTANCES, BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS HAPPENING THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO OPIATES. YOU HAVE THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PART OF THIS, PRESCRIBING OF OPIOIDS FO PAIN, OVERPRESCRIBING ISSUE, MANY, MANY THINGS THAT HAPPEN. MARKIE: THE PROCESS FOR SO MANY PEOPLE LOOKS DIFFERENT. A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE PATIENTS AT ONE POINT WHO DID NOT MEAN TO GET A DIP DID. FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW ONE BECOMES ADDICTED, TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT AVENUES. >> WE KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT OPIATES NOW THAN WE DID YEARS AGO. IT USED TO BE THE THOUGHT THAT IF YOU WERE PRESCRIBED IN OPIATE, YOU COULD NOT BECOME ADDICTED. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ADDRESSED IN MEDICAL TRAINING, DOCTORS WERE BEING TOLD THIS. WE KNOW THAT’S NOT TRUE, ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. THE SUBSTANCES ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. NOT AS MUCH OF AN UNDERSTANDING IN HOW TO PRESCRIBE THESE MEDICATIONS, WHEN THEY SHOULD BE USED, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE OVERPRESCRIBING PART OF IT. SOMETHING YOU SA -- I DON’T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO BECOME ADDICTED. WE NEED TO GO BACK AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ADDICTION IN OKLAHOMA, I NEED TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT ALCOHOL IS PROMINENT IN THE STATE. THE AVERAGE AGE OF A PERSON’S FIRST DRINK IS ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD. THIS IS WHERE THIS IS REALLY STARTING. THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT WE ARE MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION WITH A POSITIVE, COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO TREAT THIS. MARKIE WHAT ARE SOME WARNING SIGN THAT MAY BE PARENTS OR LOVED ONES SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOU FOR, FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE OF USING? WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT ANY OF THE ISSUES WITH BRAIN DISEASE, WE TAL ABOUT CHANGING HABITS, DOING DIFFEREN THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR THEM. THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT. THERE ARE SOME SIGNS AND WARNINGS. THERE IS A WEBSITE, OKIMREADY .ORG. ON THAT SIDE WE HAVE INFORMATION ON WHAT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE, HOW TO BECOME INVOLVED IN PREVENTING OPIOID ABUSE. WE HAVE LINKS TO TREATMENT, AND WE ALSO HAVE LINKS TO THE LOCKS ON, A RESCUE INHALER. IT IS USED TO REVERSE THE EFFECTS OF AN OPIATE OVERDOSE. WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT KEEPING THIS AROUND, THE SAME AS A FIRST AID KIT. MARKIE IT SOMEBODY IS DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE, IS THIS WHERE THEY SHOULD GO, OR ELSEWHERE? >> GO T OKIMRDY.ORG, WE HAVE LINKS TO TREATMENT CENTERS NEAR YOU. IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN GO TO A LOCAL COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNIT REDUCTION -- RECOVERY AND ADDICTION CENTER. THOSE ARE MAPPED OUT ON THE WEBSITE. YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IF YOU WANT BUT YOU CAN ALSO WALK IN DURING BUSINESS HOURS AND THEY WILL ASSESS YOU. MARKIE LET’S SWITCH GEARS AND TALK OF A MENTAL HEALTH. AFTER THE HOLIDAYS COME IS THIS MAYBE WHEN YOU ARE SEEING A SPIKE IN SUICIDE, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES? >> [INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE HOLIDAY BLUES, LOTS OF DISCUSSION THEN BUT IT IS AFTER THE HOLIDAYS WHERE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THAT CONNECTION TO FAMILY. A LOT OF DIFFERENT STRESSORS THAT FOLLOW THE HOLIDAYS. WHEN WE SEE A SPIKE IN SUICIDE ATTEMPT. WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BE AWARE OF THEM. IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE, LOOK FOR CHANGES IN THEIR BEHAVIOR, WITHDRAWAL, ANXIETY, MAYBE ANGER. AGAIN, THERE IS A LIST OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU CAN LO AT -- I CAN GIVE YOU A WEBSITE TO LOOK AT. IT’S IMPORTANT TO BECOM IT ENGAGED. WHEN YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEBODY, IT’S OK TO ASK THE QUESTION, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT HARMING YOURSELF, KILLING YOURSELF? YOU MIGHT BE THE FIRST PERSON AND THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS A CHANCE TO INTERVENE. MARKIE AND YOU MIGHT BE LIFESAVING BY ASKING THE QUESTION. BEFORE WE WENT LIVE, THERE IS A LIFELINE THAT GOES THROUGH OKLAHOMA, TELL US ABOUT THAT. >> A NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE. 1800-273-TALK. YOU CAN TALK TO SOMEBODY WHO WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE CRISIS SITUATION, LINK YOU TO THE RIGHT SERVICES, AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE OK. SOMETHING PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ON THAT LIFELINE, THERE IS A PROMPT. IF YOU ARE A VETERAN, IT TAKES YOU TO SPECIALIZED PROVIDERS. MARKIE: SO THEY CATER TO WHO THEY ARE DEALING WITH. WE SHARED THIS NUMBER THIS MORNING, WE HAD A STORY IN TULSA , A SUICIDAL MAN ABOUT TO JUMP OFF A BRIDGE. SEMI TRUCKS LINED UP ALONG THE HIGHWAY. WE SHARE THE NUMBER. WHEN YOU CALL FROM OKLAHOMA, IT BRINGS YOU BACK TO SOMEONE HERE LOCALLY. MARK