STORY HELPFUL IN CITY BATTLE AGAINST DRUG OVERDOSES

I would like to thank the Portland Press Herald and reporter David Hench
for the article about overdose fatalities that appeared June 10.

As program coordinator of the city of Portland's Health and Human Services
Division's Overdose Prevention Project, I was pleased to see such important
coverage of this very serious and sad issue.

Since the formation of the Overdose Prevention Project in early 2003, we
have seen a steady decline of fatal overdoses here in Portland, even when
preliminary 2004 reports indicate that numbers have increased throughout
the state.

This is largely due to the collaborative efforts by people from various
sectors of this city, including public health, substance abuse treatment
programs, law enforcement and prevention workers.

Through education and outreach, we have been able to reach a large
percentage of the drug-using population. This has been evidenced by the
increase in 911 calls for drug overdoses, and that has helped bring down
the amount of fatal overdoses overall.

Still, even one fatal overdose is too many. Every overdose victim is
somebody's child and often a brother, sister, parent or friend.

Having the disease of addiction does not remove the state of humanity that
creates the common thread among us all.

We will not know for a while whether this possible increase in fatalities
is a temporary situation or a surge, but, either way, we must continue to
work together to help protect the lives of some of our most vulnerable
citizens.

RONNI KATZ

Coordinator

Substance Abuse Prevention Program Health and Human Services Department
Public Health Division

City of Portland