NorCo's "Fake is Real" Fenatnyl Awareness Program Shows Signs of Success

Exec McClure

A year ago yesterday, Northampton County launched a fentanyl awareness program called Fake is Real.  Its purpose is to raise public consciousness of the dangers posed by fentanyl, which is very often laced into illegal pills and other street drugs. An amount as small as the tip of a pencil point can be fatal. Executive Lamont McClure insists that those who succumb to this drug are actually victims of poisoning, not drug overdoses. How successful has Fake is Real been? Yesterday, during a press conference at the  Human Services building, county officials provided a progress report indicating that there's been some real success in reducing the number of people killed. It may very well have saved some lives. 

McClure kicked things off in a conference room filled mostly by about 25 recovery specialists and human services employees. He explained that Fake is Real is actually a three-part program - triage, treatment and triumph. "We are very much in the triage phase," he observed, He added that "fighting fentanyl is one of the top priorities of my administration."

DA Baratta

The funding for this program comes from two sources. First, there's a $2 million settlement from a lawsuit against Big Pharma brought by a statewide association of districts attorney. Former DA Terry Houck committed that fund to Fake is Real. Current DA Steve Baratta, who was present and spoke at yesterday's conference, renewed that commitment.  The second source of funding is $13 million to be paid to the county over 18 years as a result of a nationwide lawsuit against drug manufacturers. 

Why do I say that Fake is Real may have saved lives?  Because that's what the data from the state Department of Health show. In 2020, there were 94 opioid overdose deaths in Northampton County. That trend continued in 2021 (96 deaths) and 2022 (81 deaths). The preliminary figures for calendar year 2023 reveal 45 fatal overdose deaths. While the avoidable death of just one person is tragic, it appears that the county awareness campaign played a role in saving some lives. McClure was a little hesitant to pat himself on the back, noting that drug interdictions at the Mexico-US border may be another factor. 

DA Baratta announced his full support of Fake is Real. He stated that he plans on reaching out to every high school in the county this year to discuss the dangers of fentanyl. "The horrible part about this crisis is that no one is safe," he said. "It is insidious."

D&A Administrator Jiorle

Several readers of this blog have blasted Fake is Real as a waste of time and money, arguing that the real cause of the problem is the border crisis. Baratta agreed that, while a small amount of fentanyl is manufactured domestically, most of it comes from Mexico and China. But he added this settlement money can only be used for education and treatment, not law enforcement. 

I would make this addition to Baratta's argument. We live is a world of supply and demand. If the imported supply diminishes but demand remains high, that will just stimulate more domestic production. Fake is Real is intended to reduce demand, which in turn makes supply irrelevant.  

Drug and Alcohol Administrator Kathy Jiorle, who administers Fake is Real, gave a "by the numbers" report:

15 - Narcan training events
286 - individuals trained to use Narcan
1378 - Narcan kits distributed
14 - events attended by Fake is Real,
131 - agencies have received Fake is Real products. 

At an event in Wilson Borough Jiorle was approached by a grandfather who took a kit and said he wished he had one when his daughter died of an overdose. He now raises her child.    

Kudo's Sarah Clark, who administers the Fake is Real webpage, said it includes a digital memorial for loved ones who have passed away. You can sign up at the webpage for a monthly newsletter that provides up-to-date details ion the awareness campaign.  

McClure's Fake is Real appears to have saved lives. This is probably his most significant achievement as Executive. One of those lives saved might one day save yours.  

What Success Have We Had Concerning Fentanyl?

At this time last year, at a news conference attended by 25 people, Northampton County launched its "Fake is Real" awareness campaign concerning the danger posed by fentanyl. The program is funded with $2 million received by then DA Terry Houck as a result of his participation in a lawsuit brought against Big Pharma by state District Attorneys. The county will receive another $13 million over 18 years as part of its share of a national settlement. 

The primary goal of  "Fake is Real" is to educate people, and the younger the better. 

Money will be spent to upgrade recovery centers, expand veteran outreach services, conduct substance abuse prevention programs aimed at student athletes and train certified recovery specialists at local colleges.  The county will also acquire a mobile outreach vehicle called Hope1.   It will travel the four corners of the county to provide drug and alcohol assessments and mental health referrals. It also has a billboard on Route 22. 

Fentanyl kills, especially when it masquerades as something else. In Northampton County, over 6,000 people suffer from a drug disorder. In Lehigh County, it's 6,700. They are especially at risk. Statewide, over 89,000 doses of Naloxone have been administered since 2018. 

On the one-year anniversary of the launch of Fake is Real campaign (Jan. 31), the county will host a 1:30 pm news conference and progress report st the county's Human Services Building at 2801 Emrick Blvd. Participants will include Executive Lamont McClure and District Attorney Steve Baratta.

According to Governing, fentanyl and the larger opioid crisis is one of the top issues being faced by state and local government. Drug overdoes deaths have doubled since the pandemic. I personally am acquainted with several people who lost children to this scourge. 

One approach has been to crack down on dealers and even those who possess a small amount of fentanyl.  But that approach has flaws. Even if the import of fentanyl is completed halted from Mexico and China, there still is a lot of domestic production. There are also new synthetics like nitazene, which is 40 times more powerful than fentanyl. 

Pennsylvania recently enacted a law that requires acute care hospitals to test for both fentanyl and xylazine when conducting a drug screening.   

September Is Opioid Awareness Month

I know several parents who have lost their children as a result of opioid overdoses. Their children died, but something inside these parents died as well. They go through the motions at work, and if you can get them to open up, they blame themselves as much as the drug that killed their sons and daughters. This is Opioid Awareness month, a time to raise awareness about the problem. 

In most cases, fentanyl is the real killer. It's really poison. I posted recently about Northampton County's effort to provide Narcan to the public, which can be used in emergencies to reduce narcotic overdoses. I received several negative comments, including this one: "It's only to protect the little rich white kids,let's put some efforts into gang violence in neighborhoods ... ." Sounds good, except it's wrong. According to the National Institute of Health, fentanyl deaths among black males and females surpass those among whites, and that gap is growing larger.

Using settlement proceeds from a lawsuit that DA Terry Houck brought against Big Pharma, the county has established a Fake is Real campaign to make the public aware that fake pills kill. 

To kick off the month, 52 NARCAN kits were delivered to members of the public. On  September 9, the Fake is Real campaign will be at the Northampton Street Fair to raise public awareness. NARCAN training classes will be provided on September 11 at the Human Services Building, 2801 Emrick Blvd, Bethlehem, Pa. You can register for training here. As already mentioned in a separate post, a "Live Well, Be Well" event is also scheduled at Easton Middle School on September 30. 

This should be something that unites both parties. According to an Axios-Ipsos poll, Republicans consider opioids the number one health threat facing this nation. Democrats place it at number two, along with obesity. 

NorCo to Distribute NARCAN on August 31

: From Northampton County: On International Overdose Awareness Day, the Northampton County Drug and Alcohol Division will hold a free NARCAN distribution drive-thru event. The event, on Thursday, August 31, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Northampton County Department of Human Services Building, is part of Northampton County's Fake is Real campaign.

"Counties are on the frontline of the opioid epidemic," says Executive Lamont McClure. "It's important that the County of Northampton makes resources available to help everyone impacted."

The Fake is Real campaign aims to educate families, specifically young adults in the 18-35 age group, about the dangers of buying counterfeit prescription pills that may contain fentanyl. The campaign is funded from proceeds secured from litigation against opioid manufacturers. This funding from the settlement gives the County the opportunity to strengthen our response to the ongoing epidemic, raise awareness to prevent addiction and offer services to treat addiction. The NARCAN is provided at no cost through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

You can learn more about our campaign by visiting FakeIsReal.org. The event is free and open to the public.