DUI Courts observe National Recovery Month
Sep. 27—VALDOSTA — The Lowndes County DUI and Adult Felony Drug Courts honored its alumni and program participants with a Recovery Walk.
National Recovery Month, started by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices.
The event, organized by Heather Harris, DUI court coordinator, served as a hub for information on substance abuse as well as a platform for substance abuse sufferers and prevention specialists alike to share their stories.
State Court Judge Ellen Golden was one of the first speakers, describing the origins of the county's accountability courts and how their programs have been helpful with rehabilitation.
"The DUI courts came here in 2017, primarily grant funded with help from the county, which we appreciate. It is actually geared for repeat DUI offenders, which studies show that approximately one-third of people arrested for DUIs," she said.
"This program is 15 months long and it is very intensive. It requires accountability of the offender, it is post conviction and they have to want to change their behavior. ... The goal of the program is to reduce recidivism and keep our roadways safer. Since this program's inception, we've had 68 graduates."
Jennifer Wingertsahn, opioid prevention specialist for the Georgia Department of Public Health's South District, addressed the stigma associated with substance abuse and said people in recovery should not be subject to "shame and ridicule."
"It's not a moral failing; people who use drugs struggle with the same things you do like depression and anxiety. Sometimes, it was something as simple as being treated for an injury and illness that started their addiction. We work to reduce that stigma. It's nothing you should be ashamed or embarrassed about, especially if you're seeking treatment," she said.
Wingertsahn also educated the crowd about "rainbow fentanyl," multi-colored pills that resemble candy. She said despite the pills being around a few years, they have become an emerging "trend" in the larger ongoing opioid crisis across the country and are especially prevalent among young adults, leading to fatal consequences.
Wingertsahn said one way to prevent death from any opioid overdose would be through Narcan.
"It's a simple nasal spray that reverses an overdose and can save someone's life. They're available at pharmacies without insurance. If you know anyone in your life that uses opioids, I would consider keeping this on hand at all times because it can happen to anybody at anytime," she said.
Brent Moore, founder of Redeemed Living, a faith-based recovery residency, said recovery should be about awareness and action.
"So what can we do? First and foremost, the first thing we can do is to love. We must love one another. A famous writer named Paul once wrote: 'Love is patient and kind; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.' That is what love is. If not for the people in this community loving me like they did, I would not be here today," he said.
After all remarks, dozens of supporters then began the recovery walk by lapping the perimeter of the Lowndes County Judicial Complex Building, displaying signs of their recognition of National Recovery Month.
