Law officials talk drug crisis at forum

Law enforcement officials from across Flathead County engaged with citizens about the area’s drug epidemic at a town hall meeting Tuesday in Kalispell.

The meeting, which was hosted by the Stop Prescription Drug Abuse in the Flathead Coalition and moderated by Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, shared possible solutions to the epidemic and provided eye-opening statistics about drug use. It also allowed those afflicted by the crisis a chance to share their stories.

Linda Ravicher, a prevention specialist with the Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic and the project director of the Coalition, offered some simple ways to keep prescription narcotics from getting into the wrong hands.

“There are proven prevention steps that can be done,” Ravicher said. “For instance, if your kid gets hurt, you take them to the hospital and the doctor ends up prescribing them Oxycodone, it’s like giving them heroin.

“Fifteen, 18 years ago, the pharmaceutical companies convinced doctors that opioid pain killers weren’t addictive, and clearly that’s not true.

“So question your physician when they are prescribing medications. Be an advocate for your kids, for your elderly family members. Before they prescribe, you decide.”

Ravicher also said doctors should be questioned if a strong narcotic is really necessary to manage the pain. She said asking for lowest dose possible and the fewest amount of pills is a good idea.

“Part of the problem is many prescriptions are filled with 30, 60 or more pills and the unused meds aren’t disposed off and then they are available for someone to get their hands on,” Ravicher said.

She also talked about how to keep prescription narcotics from getting into the wrong hands.

“Take your prescription narcotics out of the medicine cabinet and lock them up,” Ravicher said. “If you are done with them, dispose of them.”

There are three disposal boxes in Flathead County, one at the county Justice Center in Kalispell, and one each at the Whitefish and Columbia Falls police departments.

“It can be done anonymously, too,” Ravicher added.

She also talked about the importance of communication in terms of addressing the drug epidemic.

“Talk to your kids, your family members, neighbors, friends, groups you belong to. The community has to be part of the solution, we can’t just hide from this or think this is someone else’s problem,” Ravicher said.

Doug Overman, captain of the Kalispell Police Department’s detective division, vividly illustrated Ravicher’s last point.

Overman, who currently has more than 20 years law enforcement experience, spoke about his sister.

“She was a wife and mother of four kids, she didn’t drink, but she had pain-related issues and I saw her decline, but I said nothing because I’m the cop,” Overman said. “Then one day, they couldn’t wake her and I had to make the long drive to Seeley Lake to help put my sister Shawna in a body bag.

“In my life, I failed,” Overman said. “Have the courage to say something.”

A woman, who had a 10-year addiction to heroin, also spoke.

“I haven’t used in 3 1/2 years, but without NARCAN, I’d probably be dead,” she said, referring to a drug that counteracts an opioid overdose.

She explained how she was sentenced for distribution, but asked how she could help others who are addicted.

Whitefish Police Chief Bill Dial suggested that she would welcome to speak to others.

“Share your story,” Dial said. “You have a perspective that we don’t. Those who are trying to recover need to hear success stories like yours.”

Some of the statistics that area lawmen provided were eye-opening.

Kalispell Interim Police Chief Wade Rademacher said that from 2013 to 2017, the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force confiscated $11 million worth of street drugs.

“When you ask a cop how many times someone commits a crime before they are caught, generally the answer is about 10. So that means there was probably $100 million sold or passed through this region in that time period,” Rademacher said. “And heroin and meth account for 20 percent of the total.”

Mark Mulcahy, Commander of the Drug Task Force, said when he began his law enforcement career in the region, he hardly imagined what it would become.

“Last year, there were 42 pounds of meth seized and 1 pound of heroin,” Mulcahy said. “Methamphetamine is way cheaper than heroin so that’s why we see so much more of it.”

Prevention of drug-related crime was also a major topic of discussion.

“Addicts don’t wake up in the morning and go to work. They are thinking about how to get money for their drugs and this is why there are so many thefts and robberies,” Rademacher said.

Columbia Falls Police Chief Clint Peters spoke about how to avoid being a victim of drug-related crimes.

“Addicts are looking for anything they can pawn: guns, loose change, camping equipment” Peters said. “Seventy percent of our car thefts, the keys were left in the car,” he said. “It’s a simple thing to do, lock your car and lock your home.”

Peters said the proper storage of prescription medications is very important.

“Treat your medications like a gun. Lock ‘em up. A $75 gun safe may prevent your house from being ransacked.”

Another area of concern is the rise of DUI-related traffic accidents that involve narcotics.

Duane Bowers, the captain and District 6 commander of the state Highway Patrol, said those types of DUI crashes have increased significantly in the last five years.

“All hope is not lost, but we seem to be having a hard time getting the word out that driving while under the influence is a bad idea,” Bowers said. “People aren’t paying attention to the prescription labels that say ‘Don’t operate heavy machinery while using.’”

His Strategic Enforcement Team works to catch drivers who are under the influence, but he said their effectiveness isn’t what it used to be because of more people driving under the influence of medications.

“When we arrest people for suspicion of DUI and it doesn’t involve alcohol, blood tests have to be taken at the hospital, which taxes their staff and which can be much more time consuming. It’s taxing our law enforcement, hospitals and justice system,” Bowers said.

For more information, contact the Stop Coalition at 756-6453.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.