By Andrew Alvey, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates

As Bloom Kentucky has detailed, the opioid crisis has significantly impacted all of Kentucky’s communities. In 2020, Kentucky had the third-highest age-adjusted drug overdose fatality rate in the United States. This statistic shows the urgency with which we must come together to create opportunities for healing and resilience.

With support from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, Kentucky Youth Advocates is leading a project to collect the data needed to combat opioid misuse across our state. 

Understanding the unique challenges each community faces is crucial to developing effective solutions. That’s why we’re reaching out to you—our fellow Kentuckians—to lend your voice through a critical survey. Your insights will guide us in determining the most valuable data related to opioid misuse, such as opioid-related deaths by age, the impact on families, including rates of parental incarceration due to opioid use and the increasing role of grandparents in child-rearing, and the availability of prevention programs within your county.

This effort will culminate in the creation of an accessible, centralized dashboard containing comprehensive data related to opioid misuse. This powerful tool will empower communities, policymakers, and stakeholders to make informed decisions that aim to alleviate the impacts of opioid misuse in Kentucky.

We Need Your Input

By participating in our survey, you are contributing to:

  • Identifying Key Data Points
  • Shaping a Comprehensive Resource
  • Strengthening Community Response

Please take a moment to fill out and share our survey by April 20. Your participation is invaluable in our mission to combat the opioid crisis in Kentucky.

Have Questions?

We understand the complexity of this issue and welcome any questions you may have about the survey or the broader project. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Karena Cash at kcash@kyyouth.org.

Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash