NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The COVID-19 pandemic is part of what Virginia Department of Health coordinators believe contributed to the rise of drug use in Hampton and Newport News.
"The overdose death rates in the cities of Hampton and Newport News are much higher than they have been in years past," said Population Health Coordinator, Tes La Dieu. "We believe COVID-19 can be attributed to some of these cases as people's mental health or access to crucial things like their financials, food security, housing security declined."
The latest data from VDH overdose tracking shows:
- All drug overdose death rate 2016-2020 in the City of Hampton 27.3 per 100,000
- All drug overdose death rate 2020-2022 in the City of Hampton 36.9 per 100,000
- All drug overdose death rate 2016-2020 in the City of Newport News 24.6 per 100,000
- All drug overdose death rate 2020-2022 in the City of Newport News 42.7 per 100,000
- Opioid overdose death rate 2022 in the City of Hampton 35.8 per 100,000
- Opioid overdose death rate 2022 in the City of Newport News 37.8 per 100,000
According to VDH's data, these overdose death rates are higher than what researchers recorded statewide. The department also stated on its website that EMS responded to 936 overdose emergencies in the Hampton Peninsula Health District region in 2022 alone.
La Dieu said because she and her team saw these numbers and realized more needed to be done to fix it, they started a new program called Project LEAD.
The program helps connect people to the proper resources to get the support they need to step away from drug use.
La Dieu said because every person is different in why they started to use drugs, it's important to take the holistic approach in this program and offer services that pertain to the individual person.
Whether it's housing or food assistance, or mental health therapy, VDH is looking to connect those struggling to the services with a click of a button.
"Obviously, people all over struggle with substance use disorder. They shouldn't be shamed. They shouldn't feel like there aren't resources for them. If anything, our program is looking to address that stigma," La Dieu explained. "We see that the more an individual is protected in those areas, substance use disorder goes down in the community."
Jan Brown has also seen a rise in people coming to her organization, SpiritWorks Foundation.
"We've seen more death, more despair, more families and actually the community coming to us to find ways to be involved that they haven't been," said Brown, referring to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brown knows what it's like to recover from addiction. After developing an addiction to alcohol at a young age and then taking opioids, she knew she needed to change when she addressed the problem at 22 years old.
"For me, early on, it was about life and death. I didn't want to die and I didn't know how to live, but I knew I didn't want to die and I knew using drugs was going to kill me," Brown explained. "I've survived addiction and now I've been in recovery for a bit over 36 years."
Brown is one of the organization leaders actively working with Tes La Dieu on Project LEAD, even expanding some of her services to the Hampton and Newport News region to offer more convenient assistance.
"In this space, one size doesn't fit all," said Brown. "We really need to work with people as they are."
In addition to the housing, food assistance, and mental health services through Project LEAD, the program also offers training with several community organizations to provide REVIVE!, Trauma Informed Care (TIC), Health Equity in Response to Drug Overdose, and Stigma Reduction.
If you are struggling with mental health, call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
For Hampton and Newport News residents, you can contact the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board. The Crisis Hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (757) 788-0011. The Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board also hosts a Peer Warmline from 8 a.m. - 11 p.m., seven days a week at (757) 251-2394.