Henderson city and county officials work to address opioid crisis

HENDERSON CO., Ky. (WFIE) - Henderson city and county officials held a joint fiscal meeting to discuss overlapping community projects and concerns.

One of those overlapping issues is the opioid crisis.

“We have to try something, we have to do something, we can’t just sit by and hope,” said Judge Executive Brad Schneider.

Officials with the women’s addiction and recovery manor (WARM) presented their next idea to curb the fentanyl crisis.

“One of the things we can do is get to heart of where these habits start,” Schneider said.

They already have programs in the high school and middle school, but officials say it’s time to expand into the community with fentanyl education.

“Teaching them not only the dangers of drugs, which we have all been trying to do for decades now, but the new danger of fentanyl,” Schneider said.

President and CEO of WARM Dale Sights says in recent months, they’ve come across families who had no clue their child was doing drugs.

They want the public to know the warning signs, and to know the dangers fentanyl poses.

“Whereby, families can understand the consequences of this disease, and its an urgent matter as we see it, and we’d hope you would see it that way,” Sights said.

The proposal would have the county and city pay for an employee of WARM to spearhead the program, under the supervision of WARM executives. The $60,000/yr salary would be incurred by the city and county, but WARM would host the program at their facilities.

“Education is really one of the huge facets of trying to solve this, or at least prevent more kids from dying in Henderson County,” Schneider said.

The proposal has to be voted on and approved by both governing bodies.

One county commissioner did discuss extending education into the grade schools, but nothing has been set in stone just yet.

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