Save a Life Stations installed in Pontiac to help those struggling with opioid addiction
PONTIAC, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc in communities across the country, including in Michigan, and some could argue we are losing the battle. But there are still many people who continue to have hope as they fight to save lives.
It's a fight that's personal for Shannon Smith. She says both her cousin and stepson died from an overdose just one year apart.
"Addiction has no bias," she said. "It happens in every community. It happens to every family. It touches every family's life. All of us know someone who has had substance abuse issues."
Smith is the director of housing and community development for Lighthouse, an organization that provides resources like food and shelter for people in the community.
On Friday, Smith was teaming up with the nonprofit Alliance of Coalitions to provide resources she hopes will make a difference.
They were installing Save a Life Stations at three of their facilities. The stations are filled with a variety of free resources, including Narcan, Fentanyl and Xylazine testing strips.
"Having these accessible in my community was of the utmost importance to me," Smith said.
These stations are crucial because Smith says substance abuse is increasing in Pontiac.
Stacie Burns with the Alliance of Coalitions says it's also a growing problem in Oakland County.
"We have stations all over the county, and a lot of people make an assumption it's only the urban cities where this is happening. That's absolutely false. I've been in cities where I was surprised the box was completely emptied," she said.
Burns says she refills the stations every single week. At times, it can be up to 600 boxes of Narcan taken from the stations.
"We are flooding our community with this life-saving tool, and I feel in my heart this is our way of telling people you are lost in addiction, but we are here to provide this tool to help you stay alive and maybe make the decision to get in recovery and become the best version of yourself," Burns.
For Smith, that's what it's all about. It's to make sure other families don't feel the same pain she felt when she lost her family members.
"if I can just bring the awareness and reduce the barriers, and reduce the stigma, and if I can save a life, that's my goal," she said.