By Rick Abercrombie
The June 24 speakers at the Optimist Club of St. Andrews-Irmo were representatives from Palmetto Foundation for Prevention and Recovery.
The Foundation focuses on the presence of opioid use and abuse in the Irmo/Chapin community. Having lost his son Chase to an accidental opioid overdose, Bruce Loveless, Chase’s father, established PFPR to educate young people about the perils of opioid use.
It seems that the most visible substance in this category – at least in the most visible media treatment of it – is fentanyl. It is fifty times more powerful than heroin and a hundred times more powerful than morphine. Used in precise measurements, it is sometimes an ingredient in prescription pain medication. However, it may also be present in lethal percentages in fake prescription pills
In 2020, it was a factor in more than half of the overdose deaths of people aged 14-23. It is even more hazardous because it acts quickly and allows a very short reaction time for treatment. The most effective treatment is Narcan nasal spray. Narcan has proven effective in the rapid reversal of an opioid overdose episode, be it fentanyl-related or involving heroin or prescription pain meds
PFPR provides Narcan dispensers free of charge at the following locations:
The Palmetto Foundation office in Chapin
Loveless Family Medicine
Fairview Fire Department
Irmo Fire Department HQ
Harbison Garden Apartments
Camp Cole
Cole Wellness
Midlands Break Room
FoodShareSC
Educating the youth of the area about fentanyl and other opioids, PFPR seeks to heighten awareness of both the dangers of opioids and to inform its clients on how to recognize the signs of overdose. PFPR makes itself available to schools to convey its message to students.
Another piece of PFPR’s public interaction was the Chase Loveless Empowerment Football Camp at Irmo High School scheduled for July 26. The camp was offered to youth from 7 to 17 years old, and offers a provided lunch and a free t-shirt.
At the camp, former players from professional football, USC and Clemson, along with Irmo High School players, will teach football skills and will lecture campers about opioid issues.
Pictured left to right are Optimist Club President Gary Boyd, District 5 Representative Elizabeth Balog, PFPR Executive Director Mary Grace Loveless, and Bashawn Johnson, who is an instructor at the Football Camp.
