Overdose deaths declining in Oakland County
(FOX 2) - Paul Shankin says he was young when he started using drugs. Despite growing up in a positive and loving family, he still found himself caught in the underworld of substance abuse.
"Had a loving father, loving mother, brothers and sisters but the area we grew up in was just polluted with narcotics," he said.
Shankin is on the other side of his fight against his own addiction. Now, as a team member with Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, he helps others dig themselves out of the same hole he once found himself in.
Reflecting on his experience, he calls it one of the most rewarding jobs.
"I found recovery and it was one of the most difficult things that I'd ever tried to do and it was the most life-changing experience that I’ve ever had," said Shankin.
Jonathon Maxgay also works at the Alliance, also as a recovering addict.
He said his time growing up in Rochester Hills came with a stigma about the community being one where you could find drugs.
"I heard a lot that Rochester Hills has drug addicts and breaking that stigma for me was very difficult," he said.
Now, the time he spends helping others in recovery is a "phenomenal" way to give back.
Maxgay and Shankin are testaments to personal strength, but also a growing trend in Oakland County: the number of drug overdoses and overdose deaths are falling. After years of grim statistics pointing toward the proliferation of opioids in communities, the first half of 2024 has good news for those overseeing efforts to reduce addiction.
"I want to dance in the streets. It’s incredible to be a part of something that is literally saving people’s lives," said Shankin.
Recovery support resources like what Shankin and Maxgay provide are part of the solution. Also helping in the effort is distributing naloxone and Opvee - which can reverse an overdose - educating communities on overdoses and fentanyl risks, as well as expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for those already addicted.
"Increased access with a low barrier for people even without the ability to pay for that, that is at the forefront of the gold standard of how to treat this disorder," said Steve Norris, who works with the Alliance.
In the first half of this year, preliminary overdose data shows a 26.1% reduction in overdose fatalities and a 19.7% drop in non-fatal overdoses, compared to the first half of 2023.
"It's cause for a celebration," said Norris.