The accountability court system is in place to help folks get back on their feet after running into trouble with the law. The drug court arm of that organization is designed to help users get clean and kick their dependence on controlled substances.
The drug courts have been a rise in the presence of fentanyl and other dangerous opioids in their program. In 2020, 72 percent of the participants in drug court used meth and only 27 percent used opioids. The latter figure has risen to 54 percent in 2023.
“Most of the meth users also have used fentanyl,” said Beth Pelaccio, director of the Habersham County Accountability Courts. “It makes it much more dangerous.”
Pelaccio said one woman who left the program has stayed in contact about drug activity on the streets. She said many drug dealers are now selling Narcan along with fentanyl to preemptively anticipate an overdose situation.
Habersham County had 175 overdoses in 2022, with 48 of those centered around Cornelia and another 28 in Baldwin, according to data provided by Biospatial.
Pelaccio said the program has a grant that runs through September for Medical Assisted Treatment (MAT) of vivitrol that can mitigate a user’s ability to get high for 30 days. The medicine blocks receptors in the brain that are affected by opioids.
“People as young as 18 are saying their preferred drug is fentanyl,” Pelaccio said.
Many users shoot fentanyl with a needle, while others try to smoke it, which can be just as deadly.
Last month, Sheriff Joey Terrell warned anyone who has family members or friends with a drug problem to be aware of anything they might see and to proceed with caution.
“If you see a white or off-white substance that does not belong, don’t try to handle it yourself,” Terrell said. “Call an officer to help. Some people hesitate to call the law if someone has a drug problem, but sometimes jail can be the thing that makes them realize they need to get into rehab or get some other kind of help to turn their lives around. If you are enabling someone with a drug problem, that is not helping them.”
The GA 911 Medical Amnesty law provides immunity to those seeking medical attention for themselves or someone else due to an overdose.
Terrell said the influx of fentanyl started in Atlanta, a major drug hub for the southeast region of the U.S., and ran up the pipeline through Hall County in Habersham.
The Georgia Department of Health warns that opioid overdose can result in permanent physical and mental damage or even death if medical treatment is not administered immediately.
For information on treatment and recovery services, call Georgia Crisis & Access Line at 1-800-715-4225.