'This is about saving lives' Sen. Sullivan holds fentanyl roundtable at MyHouse

On Saturday, various members of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough community, including people in recovery, staff and former clients of MyHouse in Wasilla, mental health advocates, and others came together to meet with Senator Dan Sullivan and his wife to discuss ideas for outreach to others in the communities.

“We wanted the (Mat-Su) Valley to be our first local stop on our ‘One Pill Can Kill’ campaign because the community here…is a really, really strong recovery community,” said Senator Sullivan after the event.

The roundtable comes after the senator and Governor Mike Dunleavy kicked off their ‘One Pill Can Kill’ campaign three weeks ago to address the fentanyl crisis gripping the country and hitting Alaska especially hard, among the leading cause of death for young people.

“The highest reason for the death rate in Americans 18 to 45 is fentanyl overdose. Alaska is not only not immune to that, Alaska, unfortunately leads with the highest rates of fentanyl overdose increase of any state in the country last year.”

Last year, Alaska reported a record-high total of overdose deaths, with 342 Alaskans dying from overdoses in 2023, up 40% over 2022 totals, according to the state Department of Health. 264 of those were from fentanyl, up from 151 fentanyl deaths the previous year.

“This is targeted at Alaska’s youth, so you have to have the youth not only engaged, but in many ways leading.” The Senator made a pitch to those at the table for more peer-to-peer youth conversations with youth ambassadors as a most effective method to get the word out on the campaign.

“We need you,” he said. “At the end of the day, this is about saving lives.”

Among the young leaders Senator Sullivan talked with was Ben Kolendo, who has served as a representative on the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force, and has worked with the Alaska DOH advising the governor on issues regarding drug and alcohol use disorder,

“The biggest thing Senator Dan Sullivan and I agree on is how big of a problem drug abuse among youth is. Like the senator, I am committed to helping youth in need. We both believe that empowering youth with a voice and providing them with necessary support are crucial steps.”

Isaac Smoldon, who serves on the Mat-Su Youth Action Board and the MYHouse Board of Directors said meeting with the Senator went well and was impressed that it felt as though the senator was truly listening to the people he met with.

“He’s very good about listening to people, and I believe that he truly takes it to heart.” Smoldon was pleased with the turnout of the diverse group that came out to speak with the senator.

“All those people here today added to the conversation, and I think he’ll be able to take that back with him.”

The roundtable talk brings full circle Senator Sullivan’s work to address youth mental health, addiction, and recovery throughout the state. In 2016, he held a Wellness summit focusing on addiction, recovery, calling it impactful and successful as it brought over 500 people-federal and state officials, and local leaders, as well as families impacted by substance use who were looking for solutions.

“Since that time, my team and I have really had a strong bond with the strength of the recovery community in the Mat-Su Valley, and when we launched this ‘One Pill Can Kill’ campaign, we wanted our first local event to be out here with Michelle (Overstreet) at MyHouse.”

“I think this is wonderful, having this discussion with the Senator here. He really cares, and really listens and that is important as we address these issues,” said Overstreet, the founder and CEO of MyHouse.

Senator Sullivan said that he will continue to sound the alarm on this important issue and plans to hold more events like this and may revisit holding another wellness summit that might be more youth-centered and would expand it to include not just addiction but youth mental health and suicide.

“You want to do those when they are effective and when it will strike a chord with people.”