Opioid addiction, resources and solutions addressed in Troy town hall
(CBS DETROIT) - A special town hall meeting in Troy Wednesday evening addressed a well-known issue both in Michigan and around the country -- opioid epidemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 3,000 overdose deaths in Michigan in 2022. The point of Wednesday's town hall was to let communities know that there are resources available.
"It's about saving lives," says Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King. He was one of the panel speakers included who shared stories from the eyes of law enforcement.
"If you were clean today, you can do it tomorrow," says Peter Purol, who attended the town hall.
Purol shares his story of recovery. He says he had a heroin and opioid addiction for 13 years.
"Got high, I overdosed, did the whole cycle over and over again, I just didn't want it no more," Purol told CBS News Detroit.
He's been clean since September 2021, thanking treatment programs like Families Against Narcotics, which helped him get clean and get closer to his daughter.
"Honestly, I feel great, but it's just a new battle every day. The drugs are gone and I feel great about that, and I'm able to be a father and a partner today and be reliable and trusted but outside of that the battle is nowhere near over. I fight it every day with different things," says Purol.
CBS News Detroit's Gino Vicci emceed Wednesday's event.