BY DEBBIE PAGE
Drug-Alcohol Coalition of Iredell Board chair Dorothy Hensley announced Monday that Kristen Blumenstein had been promoted to executive director. Hensley made the announcement at DACI’s monthly meeting. The nonprofit is now seeking applications for project coordinator, Blumenstein’s previous position.
UPDATES
♦ Blumenstein discussed the N.C. Senate’s 2026 fiscal year Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Minimal funding was cut from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, but funding for some programs was increased, including the State Opioid Response Grant of $1.595 billion, which is $20 million above the fiscal year 2025s appropriation.
The appropriations bill is still not final since the N.C. House must still release its version of the bill and a conference committee will have to resolve any differences. The governor must also sign the final approved bill into law.
Blumenstein also reported that since January, DACI and its partner Insight Human Services have distributed 120 alcohol cabinet locks and 137 alcohol bottle locks. They have also distributed 280 rack information cards as part of the agencies’ “Talk It Up, Lock It Up” (https://talkituplockitup.org/) youth-targeted alcohol prevention campaign.
Blumenstein also updated the group on the “In The Know: A Community Conversation About Substance Use” event planned for March 10 of next year at the Statesville Civic Center.
The steering committee has formed four sub-committees, including a committee to determine the speaker and breakout session topics, a logistics committee, a hospitality committee, and a marketing committee. Blumenstein invited those interested to let her know their committee interest.
♦ Blumenstein also announced that the Iredell County Health Department is having a Recovery Roadmap Summit on Wednesday, September 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Statesville Recreation Center at 1875 Simonton Road. Lunch will be provided.
The guest speaker will be Heather Newton, a regional coordinator and peer support specialist with the Recovery Alliance Initiative, who will share her lived experience and professional insight.
This event is for those who are trying to navigate recovery while looking for housing and employment. The session will focus on training, résumé building support, job opportunities, housing guidance, and other resources people need to build a stronger future in recovery.
The event will also help people connect with experts, gain support, and build a community with others who are on similar paths.
NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE DISPARATE OUTCOMES
Shelby Holland of Partners Health Management presented a program about substance use disorder (SUD) and health disparities among Native American populations.
Holland said there are 811,000 people of Native American ancestry in North Carolina, with 10,500 living in the 15-county Partners service area. The number in Iredell County varies according to the data source, with the 2020 census reporting 711 and N.C. demographic data reporting 1,150.
North Carolina has the largest population of Native Americans east of the Mississippi River. The state recognizes eight tribes: Cherokee, Coharie, Hallwa, Sappony, Lumbee, Merherrin, Occaneechi, and Waccamaw.
Iredell County’s native American population is fairly small because there is no tribal headquarters here. Four tribal centers operate in North Carolina counties: Mecklenburg, Guilford, Wake, and Cumberland.
The largest native American group in North Carolina is the Lumbee tribe, but the only federally recognized tribe is the Cherokee, so only they have access to the federal Indian Health Services (IHS). Federal tribes also have their own tribal land and can establish their own government and laws.
The IHS also has the Public Human Health Services that helps with the social determinants of health, including food, transportation, and financial assistance.
Unfortunately, the other N.C. recognized tribes are left out in the cold with healthcare, said Holland. Most tribes also live in rural areas with limited medical options.
The healthcare and poverty disparities among Native Americans contribute to their higher incidence of substance use and illness.
Native Americans have a 638 percent higher incidence of alcoholism, 500 percent higher rater for tuberculosis, and 177 percent higher rate of diabetes.
They are 140 percent more likely to have an accident, have a 92 percent higher rate of suicide, and a 52 percent increased incidence of pneumonia and flu, according to a 2015 Indian Health Services study.
According to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Opioid and Substance Action Plan Data Dashboard 2023 data, the fatal drug overdose rate for Native Americans was 111.3 per 100,000 people, compared to about 43.2 for whites, 51.8 for Blacks, 19.5 for Hispanics, and 4.3 for Asians.
About 25 percent of Native Americans report binge drinking in the past month. Native Americans are more likely to report drug abuse in the past month (17.4 percent) or the past year (28.5 percent) than any other group.
Holland said Native American youths also experience higher rates of substance use, with 1 in 5 young adults (age 18-25) experiencing a substance use disorder, including 11 percent using illicit drugs and 10 percent consuming alcohol.
Four in 10 Native American adolescents (age 12 -17) go on to have a lifetime prevalence of illicit drug abuse.
Native American adolescents have the highest rates of lifetime tobacco product use, marijuana use, non-medical use of pain relievers, and non-medical use of prescription-type psychotherapeutics.
An Office of National Drug Control Policy Study reported that the Qualla boundary, the territory held as a land trust by the federal government for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was identified as one of 10 high-intensity, drug trafficking areas in the entire country.
The study resulted after a two-year undercover investigation that targeted drug traffickers. Federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities raided the boundary in 2018 and arrested 132 people, seizing an array of illegal drugs valued at $1.8 million, including heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and marijuana.
The five Western North Carolina counties of the Qualla boundary (Cherokee, Swain, Jackson, Graham, and Haywood) had an average of 43.6 unintentional overdose deaths per 100,000 people in 2020, compared to 29.7 statewide.
On the other side of the state, the overdose death rate was even higher in Robeson County, reaching of 64.34 per 100,000 in 2020. About 45 percent of the Lumbee tribe’s 55,000 members reside in Robeson County.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that 13 percent of Native Americans need substance treatment, but only 3.5% actually receive it. They have limited access to substance abuse abuse services because of transportation issues, lack of public health insurance, poverty, and a shortage of appropriate treatment options in their communities.
Studies have shown that cultural identity is an important issue for Native Americans seeking help for substance-abuse. These individuals may experience better outcomes when traditional healing approaches, such as powwows, drum circles, and sweat lodges, are incorporated into the SUD treatment programs.
Treatment resources include Public Human Health Services substance use resources, the Wellbriety Movement that provides nationwide indigenous recovery services using through holistic wellness techniques, and the Lumbee Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, which is funded by a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
The Lumbee MAT program provides services for 65 Lumbee tribe members each year. It uses the talking circle approach in counseling sessions and holds smudging ceremonies along with providing education about Lumbee cultural traditions and the history of the tribe.
The Lumberton Treatment Center also provides free services, including group support sessions and individual and group counseling.