NELSON COUNTY, Va. — Nelson County is moving forward with plans to address the growing overdose crisis facing the community.
County Executive Judge Tim Hutchins organized a “Drug Awareness” public hearing on Wednesday inside the Nelson County Civic Center.
About 80 community members were in attendance, along with a dozen or so of the county’s elected officials.
According to the Kentucky Overdose Fatality Report, 24 people died of a drug overdose in Nelson County last year.
It's why droves showed up to the public hearing, including Angela Parkerson. In April 2021, her son, Nick Rucker, took what he thought was half a pill of the prescription painkiller Percocet. It turned out to be a fatal dose of fentanyl.
It's why Parkerson is advocating for Nelson County to install a Narcan vending machine to tackle the issue.
"I'm for the Narcan vending machine because it needs to be easily accessible to [everyone] and everywhere," Parkerson said. "We can put Narcan vending machines all over this town."
Tami Boblitt faced similar heartbreak when her son Chase died of fentanyl poisoning.
"It still takes my breath -- I mean every day -- it's at some point," Boblitt said. "I think of him being gone all the time."
She echoed the calls for a Narcan machine.
"Whatever it takes to get it in the hands of the public, to make it available, to the people who need it," Boblitt said. "My number one priority is to save lives, as it should be for anyone in the position to do so."
In Nelson County, that would be Hutchins. In the past he's said he's not a fan of the machines.
"I still don't think vending machines [are] the proper way to do it, "Hutchins said. "I don't think there's enough checks and balances with it."
Hutchins did support expanding Narcan accessibility at local health departments and with first responders.
"I think accessibility is important. And that's one reason I call this meeting to try, and try to get public input," Hutchins said. "People need to have it more accessible in their homes. The biggest thing is do they have it on them when they need it?"
He's outlined other strategies too:
- Rolling out new a drug-use prevention program
- Creating education/awareness programs for young people
- Retooling recovery programs for drug addicts
- Cracking down on fentanyl-laced drugs entering the community
"I think we all need to come together and put our efforts in as one to make things happen," Nelson County Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa, said.
While opinions and perspectives may differ, Hutchins believed everyone present at the meeting shared the same purpose.
"We all want the end result to be [getting] rid of the drug problem and saving lives," he said.
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