A new community addiction awareness coordinator that will lead the Stop The Overdose Project has been named.
Carrie Gentry updated the Henderson County Fiscal Court at Tuesday’s meeting, saying one of her priorities is to target adolescents with the education programs offered through STOP. Gentry said she has contacted Spottsville, Chandler and Niagara elementary schools to set up meetings.
“I like that you’re going to the grade schools because we’ve got to stop it before it starts,” said Magistrate Tim Southard.
She also said STOP has 10 Narcan stations that are ready to be placed in the community. She said there’s a great need to place many more throughout Henderson and Henderson County.
From September 2023 through January 2024, six overdoses in the county were recorded with three resulting in deaths. Three of those who overdosed were administered Narcan, and those three survived, Gentry said.
Gentry also said that STOP is working on commercials to air over local media that both tell the stories of those who’ve overdosed and where to go to get help.
Gentry replaces Angie Gatten, who recently left the community addiction awareness coordinator position to work as a victim’s advocate in the commonwealth’s attorney’s office.
