1984.

It's not just a number or data point.

It's lives of Kentuckians lost to a fatal drug overdose in 2023 nationwide, according to the centers for Disease Control, the CDC.

There is one overdose nearly every five seconds.

The highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded.

It's because of trends like that that the annual Prescription and Illicit Drug Summit, or our Sex and Drug Summit, was created 14 years ago.

A few thousand are gathering here in Nashville to learn from each other about the ways law enforcement, policymakers, treatment providers and those in active recovery can combat addiction.

Van Ingram, who heads Kentucky's Office of Drug Control Policy, spoke with Kentucky Edition's Laura Rogers yesterday about the progress being made and what lies ahead.

Mr. Ingram, we sure appreciate you taking the time to sit down with us here at the summit.

Glad to do it.

And let's talk about addiction numbers in Kentucky based on what we know.

What are those numbers look like?

And are you hopeful that they are improving?

I feel like they are improving.

But a study in 2019 identified approximately 160,000 Kentuckians with an opioid use disorder that did not count stimulant use disorder that do not contain cannabis or alcohol, just opioid use disorder.

Over 160,000 people.

That's certainly a large number when we talk about that many Kentuckians that are battling this.

Let's talk about fentanyl.

What is its impact?

When we look at fatal or near fatal overdoses?

Is fentanyl largely to blame?

Certainly, over 70% of all overdose deaths include fentanyl.

Is a toxicology report.

And usually that's the driver of that overdose is fentanyl.

So it continues to be a problem.

I won't be surprised if there's not some new synthetic opioid out to many years.

I think that the possibility is good that the cartels will develop another synthetic opioid besides fentanyl in the future.

This is almost a never ending battle.

Always a new hill to overcome.

Recovery efforts.

What are those looking like in Kentucky right now?

Are there certain approaches that you're finding to be most effective?

We're really proud of the recovery efforts in Kentucky.

We started a program a few years ago, on a bill sponsored by the bowling side by Governor Beshear in the law that certifies recovery ready communities.

So we've partnered with Volunteers of America Mid States to go into a community and say, these are the things you need to have a recovery ready and help them develop those programs.

Put those things in place and then be certified just like our storm ready or work ready.

We've got 21 communities now in Kentucky that are recovery ready, and another four that will approve in the coming weeks.

So really excited about that program.

We continue to work with it, with goodwill, with the Kentucky Chamber and others to put on expungement fairs, to Lake.

And we have what we call a Fair Chance Academy, where we bring employers in and teach them how to be a fair chance employer, how to take someone with a criminal record or someone who's had addiction issues and show them they can.

We can show them that this could be an employee that you can really identify with, and we'll really work hard for you because they're so grateful to be away from that addiction.

You've been at the helm of these efforts for a long time now.

And and your law enforcement background.

And so what are we seeing maybe in the last 5 to 10 years?

Are you seeing anything new in how we're tackling, addiction and how we're treating recovery?

You know, I think the stigma continues to reduce.

That's good.

I think stigma is a lot better now than it was a dozen years ago.

Certainly we we've come to understand that medications to treat opioid use disorder can be very effective and give us the best opportunity to keep someone alive.

Just I think the biggest difference I've seen in little towns and cities and suburbs all across Kentucky is just a willingness on the part of people to accept people who are in recovery and to invest in them.

And that's what I think is going to make a difference.

Van Ingram, executive director of the Kentucky Office for Drug Control Policy.

We appreciate your time so much here at the summit.

Thank you.

Thank you.