Q&A with Mat-Su Opioid Task Force founder discussing recent meeting and plans for future

WASILLA — Mat-Su Opioid Task Force founder Michael Carson recently participated in a question and answer interview to discuss how their most recent meeting on Feb. 1 went as well as their plans for the future.

Q: How did the meeting go?

“At one point in time, I believe we had 32 participants Zoom-ing in, and a number of them were new.”

Q: Which speakers did you have?

“Adam Rutherford, Chief Mental Health Officer, and his team of Doug Zock and Laura Brooks from DOC. They were talking about the different treatment programs that they have in DOC. It was very informative, and I’m sure that’s a huge challenge because it’s my understanding 70 to 80 percent of inmates have substance use or behavioral health issues.”

Q: What is the Task Force currently working on?

“Since this was the first meeting of the New Year, we’re in the process of creating a cataloged library where we are recording the meetings along with the agenda and storing that, having links available on the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force Facebook page. So, people that missed the meeting can go back and view it. I think we’re going to start inviting former speakers and have them bring us up to date on some of the new trends that they’re seeing, maybe some of the new programs that they’re offering… One, in particular, is Dr. Tom Quimby, he is the medical director of the emergency department at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. I think he’s going to present in April.”

Q: What are some other plans for your upcoming meetings?

“I keep coming back to youth. I think each community needs to connect with their youth and those connections and relationships... It’s important to know that we always need to hear from our youth. We really want to hear from more youth voices so we can have a better grasp of the challenges and struggles that our youth are facing…upstream prevention 7:00/14:00

Q: What is on the agenda for the March meeting?

“We’re going to hear from Project Hope. They are the ones that provide NARCAN kits. The state is looking at making a transition to having a nasal spray of Naloxone…They’re having to increase the dosage to counteract Fentanyl overdoses. So, the state is making that transition to having a NARCAN kit that has a bigger bang for your buck, meaning that it will be able to handle Fentanyl. Fentanyl is in heroin. It’s in methamphetamines. It’s in cocaine. It’s even being sprayed on marijuana. Obviously, it’s in counterfeit pills…That Fentanyl, it’s a killer… Fentanyl test strips can save lives. That’s going to be a really important harm reduction strategy that we continue to promote.”

Q: Has the pandemic made things more difficult for the work being done to counter the opioid epidemic?

“I definitely think COVID exacerbated this whole thing. The problem is we have an epidemic in the middle of a pandemic. I think when we get back to a ‘new normal’ with COVID… we’re going to find that it’s just exploded on us. There’s a reason for that. That explosion is because Fentanyl has appeared. Synthetics are so much cheaper and they’re so much more profitable… ‘One pill can kill, and I think that message needs to get out.”

Q: What are some of your plans for the future?

“There’s lots of things on the horizon with the Task Force. We’re rocking and rolling… I’m really hoping that as we’re getting into the new year, we can get the word out and have more people across the state to Zoom in. Substance misuse, we obviously know it’s very complex and multi-leveled. There’s no silver bullet, but I believe the answer is in each community, and each community creating their own coalition or their own task force. I’m not saying they need to do exactly what we’re doing because each community has their own perspective.

For more information about the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force, visit facebook.com/Mat-Su-Opioid-Task-Force-1253562884719639 or email carsons@mtaonline.net

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com