DUBLIN, Ga. — According to the Georgia Department of Health, overdose deaths increased by more than 300% from 2019 to 2022.
The Georgia Council for Recovery teamed up with the RISE UP Recovery organization in Dublin, hosting a meeting to help prevent overdoses and promote support for addiction recovery.
Several local authorities in Laurens County discussed ways to decrease the number of deaths from overdoses involving fentanyl.
Christine Rojas was motivated to come to the meeting as she continues her recovery journey. She's been sober for nine months.
"I'm one of many and a lot of my brothers and sisters in God's name have passed on," Rojas said.
Losing seven siblings to overdoses has made her recovery difficult, but she says she's committed to staying strong to break her family's vicious drug cycle.
"They took that last ride or that last relief of misery, and I'm very upset about it," Rojas said.
Rojas stood with others in the room who shared their personal struggles with addiction and sobriety.
Some people spoke about needing more resources, such as Narcan boxes around the community. Others mentioned needing to educate deputies on what to do in a situation where someone's suffering from an overdose.
Ashley Black, the director of RISE UP Recovery in Dublin, says fentanyl is a problem in Georgia. She says it's important for her group to reach out and offer more solutions.
"Making Narcan and fentanyl test strips accessible to our communities, advocating for the local legislation or the state legislation that's going to be going into session soon that supports recovery," Black said.
Ashley Black says if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction you can reach out to them at 478-353-1188 or at riseupDublin.com to get the help you need.