The Pathway to Addiction Recovery

THE CDC SAYS DRUG OVERDOSES TOOK THE LIVES OF ALMOST 70,000 AMERICANS LAST YEAR. MORE THAN HALF ATTRIBUTED THE MAN MADE OPIUM OPIOIDS LIKE FENTANYL. THE DEA SAYS FENTANYL IS 100 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN MORPHINE. JUST A TINY AMOUNT BARELY ENOUGH TO COVER THE TIP OF A PENCIL CAN BE DEADLY. THE TRAGEDY OF THOSE DEATHS HITS CLOSE TO HOME FOR ONE FORT MYERS RESIDENT. HE CHANNELED HIS GRIEF INTO THE CREATION OF A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO HELPING PEOPLE WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. WGCU REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE HAS MORE. >> FOR MORE, I'M JOINED BY AL CAN CULL FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF COMMUTES RECOVERY ZONE. >> THANKS FOR BEING HERE. PLEASURE TO BE HERE. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. >> INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY HITS, ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO HOME. CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE >> WE'RE ALL INVOLVED IN THAT BECAUSE OF A I WOULD SAY THE EPIDEMIC OF FENTANYL COMING ON ONLINE. SO TO SPEAK. AND MY DAUGHTER, CAMILLE WAS A AFFECTED BY MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER FOR 20 YEARS. SHE WAS CLEAN AND SOBER COMING HOME AND THE NIGHT BEFORE CAME HOME SHE DID SOMETHING DRUG AND IN THAT DRUG WAS FENTANYL. SO LIKE WE LIKE TO CALL POISONED BY FENTANYL. SO IF WE DON'T EVEN SAY IT, ACCIDENTAL DEATH. AND THEY POISONED BY FENTANYL. SO FRED KNOWLES DONE A LOT OF DAMAGE TO US HERE IN THE COUNTRY. AND THEN HERE PERSONALLY AS A PARENT, IT'S A TOUGH THING TO LOSE A CHILD FROM SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> MY CONDOLENCES FOR YOUR LOSS. THANK YOU FOR PARENTS WATCHING THIS AT HOME. THAT THINK THAT COULD NEVER HAPPEN TO ME. WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE? >> WELL, I THINK WE ALL THINK THAT ESPECIALLY WITH OUR CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT TODAY IT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS THING THAT'S OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S AND IT'S NOT KNOWN WHEN THAT IN THE SUBSTANCE AND THEY COULD BE JUST TAKING A PILL. OR SOME DRUG. AND THEN THAT WROTE THIS RENTAL. JUST LIKE ME, I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN OR NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET THAT CALL. AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE TO BE AWARE. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INFORM OUR CHILDREN ALL THE INFORMATION THEY'RE GETTING FROM US AND HOPEFULLY IN THE SCHOOLS. BUT PARENTS PLAY A BIG PART IN IT JUST TO BE OPEN TO THE CONVERSATION AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM. TALK ABOUT THE USE OF DRUGS, FROM WHAT TO WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU USE DRUGS TODAY. >> YOU COULD HAVE DISCONTINUED WITH THEIR LIFE. INSTEAD YOU CHOSE TO CREATE. CAN THESE RECOVERY ZONE? WHAT DID YOU WANT TO CREATE THERE THAT YOU WISH YOUR DAUGHTER HAD ACCESS TO? >> WELL, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE IS THE INFORMATION. IN ALL AVENUES THAT WE CAN DO SO AT COMEY'S RECOVERY ZONE, WE HAVE OUR PEERS WHICH HELP FACILITATE SOMEBODY THREW A THEIR ADDICTION AND TO RECOVER. AND THEN WE HAVE A FOOD PANTRY. THERE. THAT ALSO IS A GREAT SOURCE TO BRING PEOPLE IN TO US SO THAT WE CAN TALK TO THEM CLOSE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THE FOOD INSECURITY, THEY HAVE OTHER NEEDS. AND SO IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO GET NEAR THEM. BUT I THINK THE MAIN THING IS IS THE FACT THAT I KNOW WHAT THAT PAIN FEELS LIKE. JUST LIKE MOST OF US PARENTS THAT HAVE LOST A CHILD. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN TO ANYBODY ELSE. AND FOR THE LOVE OF OUR CHILDREN. WE WANT TO GO OUT THERE. WE WANT TO TELL OTHER PARENTS, PLEASE BE AWARE AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR NOAA, CHURCHILL, CHILD STEALING KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING. >> AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ALSO OFFER SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO COME AND STEP INTO THE RECOVERY ZONE. HE EVEN BROUGHT SOME WITH US TODAY. CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? >> SURE, WE HAVE NARCAN. >> AND THAT REALLY HAS CHANGED THOSE STATISTICS. >> WE LIKE TO THINK IT'S CHANGED IT A GREAT DEAL. SONAR CAN SUPPRESS OF LIFE. AND YOU TAKE THAT. AND IF SOMEBODY IS OVERDOSING, YOU TAKE THAT IN. PUTIN, OCEAN, SQUEEZE IT AND THEY COME BACK. IT TAKES CARE OF THE RECEPTOR YS AND THEY COME BACK IN THE IN A FEW MINUTES AND WE SAVED THE LIFE. WHAT BETTER? MEDICATION CAN WE HAVE TO SAVE SOMEBODY? THERE'S NO BETTER THAN US SONAR. CAN WE'VE GIVEN OUT 100,000 UNITS OF NEWARK AND ALREADY IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN ALL THE SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW IN LEE COUNTY, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS IT SO ALL THE OUTLETS THAT WE HAVE ARE USING NARCAN. AND THAT HAS REALLY BRING DOWN THEIR STATISTICS ARE NOT AS BAD AS IT WERE. AND INCOME IS CASE. IF THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NARCAN THERE. WE WANT TO CHANGE HER OUTLOOK, BUT IT DIDN'T. SO, YOU KNOW, AND BY KAMIYAH OVERDOSING AND LEAVING THIS WORLD. IT GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON AND UNDERSTAND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE BETTER THAN I EVER DID. SO WE'VE MADE A PLAN BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH FLOYD ORDER. AND I THINK THAT ALTHOUGH I'VE LOST HER, I LOVED HER THEN AND I LOVE HER MORE NOW PUSH TO GET WORD OUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND SAY PEOPLE'S LIVES. IT'S NOTHING BETTER THAN THAT. >> WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. APPRECIATE YOUR THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.