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Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor Mothers from The Woodlands aim to raise awareness about drug overdose deaths W hen four women from The BY KYLEE HAUETER
Gov. Greg Abbott headlined this year’s event, where he announced his support for a law that could allow dealers to be charged with murder for distributing laced drugs. Abbott also announced initiatives including expanded access to Narcan, an opioid overdose treatment. Posey said the four pillars M COPE emphasizes in its outreach are education, prevention, remembrance and awareness. “The only way that you can make any kind of change is if you make people aware of it,” she said. One obstacle to obtaining treat- ment for addiction is insurance, members of the group said. Rosinski said when her son went to rehab, insurance only covered 30 days. “[Addiction] is a disease, and we need to start educating and lobby- ing for changes—for the insurance companies to start treating it as an illness and as a disease, not just as a choice,” she said. Posey said one of her son’s sponsors pushed her to do something to help herself as well as her son. “When you’re in this kind of situa- tion, educate yourself wherever you can so that you’re armed because you can’t cure what they have. You can’t control it,” Posey said. Hall said the group’s goals for the coming year include establishing a program in Montgomery County area schools.
From left: Sara Hall, Kathy Posey, Kim Rosinski and Sherry Barton met with Gov. Greg Abbott on Aug. 28 at the annual awareness event.
Woodlands area lost their sons to drug overdoses, they went looking for someone who could relate to them. What they found was a community of hundreds wanting to raise awareness about overdose deaths and remember those who have passed. “The rst couple of months I was in denial, and I was like, ‘No, that doesn’t apply to me,’” said Sarah Hall, one of the founders of the Montgom- ery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor. “Then I just realized I needed more help than what I could do on my own.” Hall, Kim Rosinski and Sherry Barton met in Kathy Posey’s Grief Recovery After Substance Passing group. Posey is the group’s leader for The Woodlands. In 2020, the four women decided to do something to honor their children and created M COPE, an organiza- tion that plans an annual event in honor of International Overdose Prevention Day. “It was in the middle of the pan- demic, so we were kind of limited to a balloon release in a park,” Hall said. “In April of last year, we started talking, and then it just grew.” Their 2021 Overdose Awareness Day event brought in 250 people. The 2022 event brought in over 300 attendees and 60 volunteers.
COURTESY SHERRY BARTON
YEARLY TEXAS OVERDOSE DEATHS
The number of Texans dying from an overdose in a single 12-month period has nearly doubled from 2015.
OVERDOSE DEATHS IN TEXAS Per year from March to March
M COPE held its annual Overdose Awareness Day event in August.
KYLEE HAUETER COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
2015-16
2,645
2016-17
2,814
2017-18
2,977
2018-19
2,954
Three trees set up at the event represent elements of addiction and recovery.
2019-20
3,291
KYLEE HAUETER COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
2020-21
Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor www.facebook.com/groups/mocope that recovery is possible for both addicts and their families. “Don’t ever give up,” Rosinski said. “There’s always hope. I wanted that for my son, and obviously that didn’t happen, but I still believe in hope for others.”
4,530
2021-22
4,839
SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022
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