1 www.fsutorch.com Single Issue Free, Additional Copies 50 Cents Week of Oct. 24 - 30, 2018 HERE’s wHAT’s INSide Ferris State University Raising Rates get your facts During a recent Ferris Board of straight Trustees meeting, a decision was Read News Editor Cora Hall’s approved to raise room and board thoughts on how Twitter negatively TORCH impacts how its users find credible Truth, fairness and rates for the 2019-20 academic year. information. accuracy since 1931 News | Page 4 opinions | Page 15 A downward spiral Michigan continues to strug- gle with opioid addiction Dan Deitsch Torch Reporter Over the last five years, the United States has seen a sharp increase in opioid use and addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse classifies opioids as “heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and pain reliev- ers available legally by prescription.” Because of the pow- erful nature of this drug, deaths from opioid overdose have been on the rise, as well. “I had a friend who struggled with opioid addiction,” Fer- ris computer information technology senior Declan Flood said. “He was using to control pain, but he was also using Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons to deal with depression and self-medicate.” According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), most people fall into addiction after they are injured or after they have gone through surgery; to help manage pain, doctors have often over-prescribed painkillers to patients, giving them a larger amount of the drug than is necessary. The CDC reported that in 2016, nearly 215 million prescriptions were written by physicians in the U.S., a rate of 66 per 100 people. After an effort made by the U.S. government to curb overprescrition and death from overdose, these numbers fell significantly in 2017, dropping to 191 million prescrip- tions written. “I think it’s more of a problem than people are willing to talk about,” Ferris pre-pharmacy senior Monica Pittaglio said. “There’s such a stigma around it.” However, despite these efforts, the U.S. con- National and Statewide tinues to struggle with the side effects of addic- tion, specifically overdose and death. According Opioid Statistics to the National Center for Healthcare Statistics, 42,429 people in the U.S. died from an opioid • 42,429 people died from an opioid overdose overdose in 2016. Opioid overdoses accounted in 2016 for 66.4 percent of all drug overdoses that year. In 2017, the national number of deaths continued • 215 million prescriptions were written by phy- to climb, ending the year with 49,068 deaths. These sicians in the United States in 2016 statistics include overdose from prescription opioids along with heroin and synthetic opioids. • 191 million prescriptions written in 2017 The national trend is no different in Michigan. Opi- oid overdose deaths in Michigan have escalated quickly • Over 2,500 people in Michigan died from an since 2013 and the CDC reported that deaths from opioid opioid or opioid-related overdose in 2017 overdose had risen to 18.5 per 100,000 people in 2016, a five-person difference from the previous year. In 2017, • In Michigan in 2016, 2,356 people died of deaths continued to rise, and more than 2,500 people in drug overdoses. That is more deaths than car Michigan died from an opioid or opioid-related overdose, accidents. which is 12 percent higher than in 2016. “We don’t see a lot of heroin use in the college population, On Tuesday, Oct. 16, Ferris’ College of Arts and Sciences and we don’t see a lot in the high schools yet,” Abendroth • The total “economic burden” of prescription and the Endowed Rupe Lecture Series hosted a panel titled said. opioid misuse alone in the United States is ‘The Opioid Epidemic: Pushing Back,’ aiming to inform the There are groups hard at work to help those who are strug- estimated to be $78.5 billion a year, includ- Ferris and Big Rapids residents about the threat of opioid gling with opioid addiction in the West Michigan area and ing the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction. Lieutenant Joel Abendroth of the Michigan State the state in general. The Grand Rapids Red Project helps the addiction treatment, and criminal justice Police (MSP), who spoke at the event, said the opioid prob- people of the Grand Rapids area who use opioids by offer- involvement. lem is present in the greater West Michigan area. ing clean hypodermic needles and provide the prescription “There’s a few hotspots in Montcalm and Ionia County,” medication Narcan, which reverses the effects of a possible • From 1999 to 2016, the total number of Abendroth said. “It’s related to probably three or four doc- opioid addiction. overdose deaths involving any type of opioid tors in the early 90s that were prescribing oxycontin. As the The MSP also operates the MSP Angel Program, which increased more than 17 times in Michigan, medical profession saw the dangers of oxycontin, they start- allows a person who is struggling with addiction, including from 99 to 1,699. ed pulling that off the streets, making it harder to buy.” opioid addiction, to seek assistance from the State Police According to Abendroth, patients in these counties were regarding recovery programs, without the fear of people still addicted to the prescription drug and as a result, there placed under arrest and sent to jail. The above information was gathered from the National Cen- was a supply to fill that demand. However, Abendroth said, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin- ter for Healthcare Statistics, Center for Disease Control and the opioid addiction doesn’t seem to have reached younger istration’s national hotline is available 24/7 for free at 800- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services generations. 662-4357. Got news? Let us know. Like us on facebook Follow us on Twitter Add us on instagram Watch us on youtube Email: [email protected] Ferris state Torch @fsutorch fsutorch Fsu Torch Phone: 231.591.5978 Connect with us on social media - Read articles online at www.fsutorch.com 2 2 News Week of Oct. 24 - 30, 2018 Ferris State Torch NEWS “The day she gave me that choice, I left.” - Byron Brooks - See below for story Cora Hall | News Editor | [email protected] A lasting impact Open to change New events being held for transfer students Landry Shorkey nationwide Torch Reporter effort to cel- ebrate trans- Many students transfer to Fer- fer students ris each semester, such as sec- helps our ondary education senior Olivia transfer stu- Pahl, who transferred last year dents to feel from Lansing Community Col- like they’re a lege (LCC). part of some- DeeDee After earning scholarships Stakley thing larg- to attend Ferris, Pahl said the er, and that transfer process was easy for they’re valued.” her. Stakley said that she has “I think it was pretty easy. We many plans to implement into had a University Center at LCC, the program, including transfer and there was a person there student ambassadors, a news- that I would letter and a campus tour specifi- just go and cally for transfer students. talk to every Due to the unique nature of couple weeks transfer students, they often and make face a different set of challenges sure I was on campus. on the right “I didn’t know anybody com- track, and ing here, and I was living off Olivia make sure campus, so you don’t have that Pahl I had every- traditional freshman-in-the-dorm thing filled out experience where you meet peo- Photo by: Will Holden | Torch Photographer that I needed to,” Pahl said. “All ple,” Pahl said. “I wish that there Ferris music and entertainment business junior Byron Brooks is currently doing a sweater drive for the non-profit he started, of my classes transferred and I would’ve been more welcome For the Hood, By the Hood. Brooks said he became homeless when he moved out to go to college. didn’t have any issues with that.” events for transfer students. However, the transfer process There was a lot of freshman stuff is not always so simple. Ferris and I felt really left out, because Ferris student went from being homeless nursing junior Rebecca Welsh I never got that experience, and began her first semester here especially because I don’t live on to helping the homeless this fall after transferring from campus, I literally never got any Muskegon Community College, of that.” Madison Kettlewell of raising $100,000. The organization’s goal is to use and said she had a hard time Still, many Ferris transfer stu- Torch Reporter that money to purchase houses in Detroit to build making contact. dents adjust well to the campus them into new shelters for the homeless. “It was easy once you actually and feel at home after arriving. Ferris music and entertainment business junior “The organization’s mission is to empower, engage got ahold of someone. I had a re- “It’s big enough where you can Byron Brooks has overcome many obstacles, even and develop young people in communities that are ally hard time. I called for about still get lost, but small enough homelessness, and now runs a nonprofit organization often overlooked, while also being a training catalyst two weeks before I even got a where you can have an impact to give back to communities. for social justice and fighting against homelessness,” real person. I kept getting voice- on campus. I’m from the Lansing According to Brooks, when he graduated high Brooks said.