Photo; a town hall meeting recently held in Eureka as part of the mayor’s initiative. (Screenshot)
A town hall meeting on substance use disorders is planned for Dec. 2 in Eureka. Organizers hope to destigmatize the disorder through education, and a panel will answer questions from attendees.
The town hall was organized, in part, because of high drug and overdose rates in the area.
“As people know, there is a huge problem with substance use,” both in Eureka and Humboldt County, said Jacob Rosen, mental health clinician in charge of Crisis Alternative Response of Eureka and organizer of the event.
Data from the California Department of Public Health notes that in 2022, Humboldt County had the third highest rate of opioid overdose deaths in California, per 100,000 residents. Number two is Del Norte County. Rosen said fentanyl overdoses are responsible for thousands of deaths in the United States, highlighting the lethality and accessibility of the drug.
Public comments at council meetings often bring up Eureka’s drug crisis — “there’s definitely pressure to talk about it,” he said. The town hall will allow citizens to express their concerns and obtain information on the subject.
While Rosen said that compared to other neighboring counties, Humboldt County has amazing treatment options, he also noted that “we could double or triple the capacity of some of these facilities and still not have beds adequate. And then we would still need staff to operate them,” he said. He also noted that mental health diagnoses and substance use often combine for people.
Rosen said he wants people to leave City Hall understanding that substance use disorder is not a moral choice. They chose the name “Substance Use Disorder; The longest pandemic” to say it is a disease and not a moral choice, he said.
“If we can achieve that, I think it’s a huge step forward,” he said. Once that happens, he said opinion can shift toward a treatment mentality rather than a judgment mentality.
Previous town halls, part of Mayor Kim Bergel’s series on health issues, have focused on topics such as mental health, homelessness and children’s mental health. Rosen said progress has been made in suggestions from community members on these issues; As for mental health, the city received a grant which allows it to increase the number of people on the ground. Regarding homelessness, the city of Eureka has established an emergency shelter program and nearly 100 people have been trained as volunteers.
The panelists come from diverse backgrounds; representatives from recovery centers will speak, including Wes Harrison of Crossroads Recovery and Dr. Ruby Bayan of Waterfront Recovery. Other panelists include Rio Dell Police Chief Greg Allen, Vesta Wunner of DHHS Behavioral Health of Humboldt County and Dr. Villasenor of the Veterans Administration.
Organizations will also be at the event at tables to answer questions about treatment options.
If you are going to:
Where: City Hall Council Chambers, 531 K St. Eureka
When: The event will take place on Saturday, December 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Doors open at 10:00 a.m.
No cost. Refreshments available.
It is also possible to attend the meeting via Zoom.
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504
