By Faith Redd, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. – Klay Porter, 32, recalls overdosing alone at his aunt's house five years ago from heroin laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. He remembers slipping away and thinking “this is it.”

Porter isn’t alone. Opioid overdoses led to more than 9,900 emergency room visits in Virginia in 2020, a roughly 30% increase from 2019, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Fatal opioid overdoses increased roughly 260% in a decade, from 2011 to 2021. Fatal drug overdoses have increased almost every year in that time frame and have been the leading method of unnatural death in Virginia since 2013, according to VDH.

 Fentanyl is the driving force behind the increase in Virginia’s fatal overdoses, according to VDH. Three out of every four overdoses in 2020 included fentanyl. Fentanyl is mixed with other drugs such as heroin, illegitimate prescription opioids, and cocaine to increase potency, resulting in the likelihood of a fatal interaction, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person's size, tolerance and past usage. That amount could fit on the tip of a pencil, according to the DEA. Over 9.5 million counterfeit pills—imitations of prescription medication— were seized by the DEA in the fall of 2021, more than the last two years combined. There has been a “dramatic rise” in the number of counterfeit pills containing a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, according to the DEA.

 To understand the scope of drug overdose deaths, the second leading cause of unnatural death in Virginia is gun-related fatalities. There were about twice as many fatal overdoses as gun-related deaths in 2020 and the health department forecasts the state is on track for that to happen again once 2021 numbers are final. 

As overdoses sharply increase, addiction treatment and recovery advocates, lawmakers and government officials are working to save lives and combat the opioid epidemic. 

Recovery centers

Porter survived his 2017 overdose and is now a volunteer and recovery coach at the Henrico County-based McShin Foundation, a recovery community organization. McShin is Porter's second attempt at recovery. After his initial stay at another recovery program he went straight to his dealer's house and relapsed, he said. 

Porter was attracted to McShin because he was able to define what works for him with the provided tools and resources without being forced to follow a specific way of recovery. McShin offers a 28-day residential program and partners with physicians for drug and alcohol detox.

Most staff members at McShin have experienced addiction or have close connections with someone who has, according to McShin CEO Honesty Liller. The peer-to-peer program is the most helpful in the recovery process, she said.

“There's nothing like a hug,” Liller said. “There's nothing like someone with lived experience with the disease of addiction but also recovery.”

Porter's most recent drug charge caught up to him after a year and a half of staying at McShin, he said. He turned himself in to avoid 10 years incarceration, he said.

Porter's sentence was reduced to two months, which he only completed 52 days of. He was released early on bond because of his sobriety. He continued his sobriety throughout and after his sentence. When he returned to McShin he was hired as a peer recovery specialist.

“I've had multiple rock bottoms,'' Porter said. “I've struggled for a good, long while. I've lost everything multiple times.”

Porter has struggled with addiction since age 11, starting with alcohol and moving to hard drugs. 

“I didn't know how to cope with the world around me, and the best thing I could think of was to check out, disassociate or black out,” Porter said. “Detach myself from the world around me.”

Porter said he has been sober for about 21 months. The death of many loved ones as a direct result of substance use has motivated him to stay sober, he said.

The county still needs more resources to assist individuals seeking recovery.

A $12 million detox facility is set to open in 2024. Henrico County was granted $1 million in federal funding for the Henrico County Detox and Recovery Center. The center will provide same-day inpatient detox services with “no barriers based on income or other resources,” Tyrone Nelson, county supervisor said during a press conference earlier this year.

“The center is meant to be a resource for the county to have a place to bring people who are in the middle of a substance abuse-related crisis,” said U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., who helped secure the funding.

Henrico County created a roundtable in 2019 to recommend ways to strengthen local addiction and recovery programs, which included the detox center. The roundtable’s 2020 report noted that when Henrico Police responded to a drug overdose, they were likely to charge people who overdosed with possession because they could detox in jail, where detox and treatment services were available. 

“Henrico Police reported to the Roundtable that if they had the option to take drug users to a treatment center instead of the jail, this would be preferable,” the report stated. “However, no such drop-off facility currently exists.”

The Chesterfield County Police Department launched the Helping Addicts Recover Progressively, or HARP, program in 2016, in response to rising overdoses in the county. The program is run out of the jail and provides addiction-recovery and mental health resources to participants. The first part of the program takes six months to complete and the second phase involves a transition process and participation in work release or home incarceration. HARP has received federal grant money over the years. 

Root causes

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Department is working diligently to reduce overdoses, according to 2nd Lt. Kevin Tucker.

The department has worked with federal, state and local partners to prosecute drug dealers, according to Tucker. Loudoun County also offers mental health and substance abuse help and provides the D.A.R.E program to fifth grade students.

“This is somebody's father, mother, son, brother and so my opinion on the opioid epidemic is it's an absolute shame,” Tucker said. “It really is. It shows a deeper sort of systemic problem.”

Tucker believes finding the root of drug use is the beginning to solving the drug crisis in Virginia.

“If you want to solve the problem, you have to start asking the question ‘why?’” Tucker said. 

Solely targeting the individual illegally selling drugs won't get to the root of the problem, according to Tucker. The start to solving the crisis is understanding the long term effects of why someone suffering with addiction got to where they are currently.

“We've routinely seen that people who overdose, and kind of find themselves in the same situation that they were before the overdose, are very likely to overdose again,” Tucker said.

Save a Life

Richmond and Henrico health districts offer free fentanyl test strips to reduce the risk of overdose. The strips are used to test for fentanyl in injectable drugs, powders and pills. Test strips are available at in person Narcan training and community dispensing events, according to VDH.

Recovery advocates, families and friends also want to stop overdoses. Opioid overdose reversal medication known as naloxone, often called Narcan by brand name, can be accessed through pharmacies, local community organizations, licensed emergency medical service agencies and health departments, according to VDH.

Loudoun County implemented a Heroin Operations Team initiative in 2015 to promote the pilot program of deputies carrying Narcan, according to Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

“The county does a pretty good job of getting Narcan out to people who have sort of high recurrence,” Tucker said. “It's on request. Family members can request and have requested.”

REVIVE! is a virtual opioid overdose and naloxone education training program offered weekly for Virginia residents. The program offers two types of training. One trains participants to better understand opioids, how opioid overdoses happen, risk factors for opioid overdoses, and how to respond to an opioid overdose emergency with naloxone, according to the program’s website.

The other training prepares a person to become a REVIVE! instructor and train others. 

A person can receive a REVIVE! kit and Narcan nasal spray free of charge after attending the training, according to VDH.

Richmond recently introduced a spike alert program to indicate the presence of illegal or diverted prescription drugs in the community that may be potent or cause overdose. The program allows people in the greater Richmond community to be notified of overdose occurrences in the area, according to VDH. People can sign up for the alerts, here.

Legislation

Lawmakers in 2015 began efforts to increase access to medicine that reverses overdoses. Over the past seven years, lawmakers have also expanded protections to people who report overdoses.

The Good Samaritan law went into effect last July and expands on legislation initially introduced in 2015. A person reporting an overdose will not be arrested or prosecuted for public intoxication, underage drinking, or purchasing or possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia. A person also has immunity if they administered CPR or naloxone while another person reported the overdose. The individual must remain on scene and identify themselves to law enforcement.

“We cannot charge for possession,” Tucker said. “It doesn't matter how bad that one possession is. If it's just a possession it is exempt under the current code.”

The General Assembly established drug courts, which exist within the judicial system, to assist individuals in drug or drug-related cases and provide an alternative to incarceration. Drug courts are reported to reduce recidivism by allowing individuals to go through intense treatment options while under heavy supervision, in effort to increase recovery rates.

Lawmakers last year unanimously passed a joint resolution that designated Aug. 31 as an International Overdose Awareness day in Virginia. The U.S. and Virginia flags are to be lowered to half-mast in memory of people who have lost their lives to addiction. In the 20-year period between 1999 and 2019, over 770,000 people died from drug overdoses, according to the resolution. 

The resolution acknowledges addiction is a medical disease. The dedicated day is intended to raise awareness and encourage the discussion of the prevalence of addiction, implement new policies, remove barriers to treatment and overdose prevention and address the evolving need for support and resources relating to substance use disorder, according to the measure.

Although the recent resolution declared addiction a disease, Porter stresses that he’s an individual not defined by substance abuse. He said he loves art and creative expression. He's always wanted to go to art school and plans on doing something to utilize his artistic talents after he stabilizes his life and gets off probation.

"We're all some very talented people,” Porter said. “They have worth, but all that gets overlooked because of substance use or the alcohol addiction.”

A combined baccalaureate service and commencement exercise will be held at Brunswick Academy on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. The guest speaker will be

 Dr. Robert L. Rowland III of Smyrna Baptist Church in Dinwiddie, Virginia. Thirty-two seniors will be graduating.

Valedictorian Jacky Zhu

Salutatorian Sydney Paige Paul

The valedictorian is Jacky Zhu, son of Mrs. Mei C. Li and Mr. Min Y. Zhu of Lawrenceville. Jacky will be attending the College of William and Mary. The salutatorian is Sydney Paige Paul, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Paul of Emporia. Sydney will be attending James Madison University.

Brunswick Academy will have eight other honor graduates at this year’s Commencement. Lydia Reed Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wayne Smith of South Hill, will be attending the University of Virginia. Bryson Gage Poarch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Edward Poarch, Jr., of Dinwiddie, will be attending Liberty University. Shana Denise Love, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. David Alexander Love of South Hill, will be attending James Madison University. Alyssa Reina Rivas, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Juan Antonio Rivas of Lawrenceville, will be attending Methodist University. Matthew Robert Moseley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Steve Moseley, Jr., of Emporia, will be attending Southside Virginia Community College. Kacie Lin Keefe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Todd Eugene Keefe of Rawlings, will be attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Faith Elizabeth McLawhorn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Dale McLawhorn, Jr., will be attending the Savannah College of Art and Design. James Harrison Harper, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Gregory Harper of South Hill, will be attending Hampden-Sydney College.

Seventeen seniors are the children of Brunswick Academy alumni. Three of those seniors are the grandchildren of Brunswick Academy alumni.

By Larin Brink, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — “It’s free cooking gas,” said Monica Alinea. 

Monica Alinea and her husband, Tim, are proud owners of a HomeBiogas system. 

Situated in the sunny backyard of their Pensacola, Florida home, the system looks like a 7-foot rectangular, black balloon. But it’s not inflated with air, it’s methane. 

The Alineas use HomeBiogas, a product that transforms household food waste into cooking gas through a composting process called anaerobic digestion. The product became commercially available in 2016, according to the HomeBiogas website.

Shakira Hobbs is an assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Kentucky and did her postdoctoral research at the University of Virginia. Hobbs researches sustainable environmental engineering and compares anaerobic digestion to the human digestive system. 

“If I eat an apple, I chew it up and I break it into smaller pieces, and then it goes down my esophagus and eventually into my stomach,” Hobbs said. “I have these natural enzymes that will further break down that food waste and process it through my digestive system [to] produce two things, a solid and a gas.”

The Alineas take food waste, like vegetable scraps or banana peels, and feed it into the anaerobic digester through a tube. The waste collects in a large chamber and within a few hours, the microorganisms in the chamber begin decomposing the food waste which releases methane. The gas rises and collects in a flexible tank and can be piped directly into their kitchen to fuel a stove top burner, providing them free cooking gas.

The Alineas are part of a growing group of avid home chefs and gardeners in the nation who seek self-reliance and use food waste to tackle climate change. 

“We hate to waste things,” Tim Alinea said, “and we knew our food scraps could be used for good.” 

The environmental impact of methane

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that carbon dioxide and methane are the most abundant greenhouse gasses emitted from human-influenced actions. This can impact global temperatures, changes weather patterns and contributes to human health problems. 

But methane can be 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, so decreasing methane emissions could have rapid and significant positive effects. Landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions in the U.S.

“Composting produces methane,” said Bruno Welsh, founder of Compost RVA, “but it produces far less methane than a landfill.” 

The EPA estimates that in 2018, the most recent year of available data, U.S. households generated 25 million tons of wasted food; 66% was landfilled while just 3% was composted. The remainder went to wastewater management or combustion services. 

When food waste goes to a landfill, it decomposes with inorganic materials like plastic and metal. Consider a kitchen garbage bag. Air flow is diminished and the food rots, slowly leaking methane into the atmosphere. 

But when captured, methane can become a form of renewable energy called biogas. It can be converted to electricity or used as fuel for cooking and heating. 

“We can produce [BioGas] in about 10 days, depending on the substrates and the conditions,” Hobbs said. This is in contrast to natural gas, a commonly used non-renewable form of energy, which could take millions of years to form. 

Benefits of household biogas

Zak Dowell’s suburban home sits in the rolling hills of Blacksburg, Virginia. Dowell, who has a background in building science and environmental design, is a Virginia Tech BioBuild fellow researching anaerobic digestion systems for household use. He’s built several anaerobic digesters in his backyard over the past decade, but he also purchased a HomeBiogas system a few years ago. 

“I’ve got a 6,000-watt solar system on my house,” Dowell said, “but I’m doing my part for the environment more by sorting my food waste and disposing of it responsibly.” 

Dowell diligently composts for his family of four and hasn’t thrown away a scrap of food in almost 15 years.

Dowell views anaerobic digestion as an eco-innovation. Most anaerobic digestion users say they spend several hours a week feeding and maintaining backyard digesters. 

For people interested in anaerobic digestion, it’s possible to build a system using commonly found hardware store supplies. HomeBiogas produces a system for residential, backyard use. 

The basic HomeBiogas system costs less than $1,000 and can generate up to two hours of cooking fuel per day, according to its website. But that timeframe depends on other factors, like climate and how consistently the system is fed. Warm weather allows for faster decomposition and methane creation.

“The HomeBiogas, it’s meant for Florida; you can drop that thing in the warm weather and it will produce gas, it’s an awesome product,” Dowell said. But people in Northern U.S. climates may be limited to only using a digester during the warmer months, or be forced to build a greenhouse to keep temperatures up during the winter.

Michael and Britney Maness live on a 6-acre farm in Puerto Rico and use renewable energies including solar and biogas.

“I like to drink tea daily, and I no longer have to feel bad for boiling water,” said Brittney Maness with a chuckle. 

She grows her own tea and uses biogas for cooking which provides a sustainable way to do something she enjoys, Maness said.

Byproducts and limitations of anaerobic digestion

The EPA explains how anaerobic digestion also produces digestate, which is a bio fertilizer or effluent. When considering the human digestive system analogy, this would be the “solid we all produce,” Hobbs said. 

“A big plus is the bio fertilizer,” Mike Maness said. “That stuff is really good for plants.” 

The Manesses have a passion for horticulture and noticed significant improvement in their crop yields since using the digestate.

But for households without a robust vegetable garden or small farm, the bio fertilizer may turn into buckets of sludge that must be dealt with.

Some municipal wastewater management facilities and large-scale farms in the U.S. have been producing biogas and digestate for decades. 

When Roy Vanderhyde installed an anaerobic digester on his Southwest Virginia dairy farm in 2008, he wanted to use the digestate as a pathogen-free bedding for his animals. But he soon found the value in the biogas.

The digester’s only input was manure and the biogas was converted on-site into electricity. Vanderhyde’s electric bill was $13,000 per month before the digester, he said. 

“[It] was generating enough electric power that I did not have an electric bill,” Vanderhyde said. “Plus, I would sell enough kilowatts for the average 300 homes.” 

The Central Marin Sanitation Agency in Northern California is a wastewater treatment plant that runs two 80-foot anaerobic digesters. The biogas is transformed on-site into electricity and powers the facilities for an average of 19.3 hours per day, according to the agency’s Green Business Report for fiscal year 2021. The digestate is processed and used locally as fertilizer and daily landfill cover.

Food waste from local restaurants and grocery stores were added to the agency’s digesters in 2014. The agency now accepts nearly 6 tons of food waste each day. The digesters created about eight hours of electricity per day before food waste was used, which is less than half the energy it currently produces, according to General manager Jason Dow.

But anaerobic digestion has other drawbacks in addition to managing the digestate. Systems often have complicated pieces that could require sophisticated engineering to troubleshoot. Residential users, such as the Alineas, cite the time commitment to feed the system as a limitation. The Manesses find the system to be water intensive. 

Posters on the HomeBiogas System Owners’ Facebook group frequently visit the page to troubleshoot system problems. Owners have experienced leaks, insufficient methane production, trouble inoculating new systems, and pH imbalance, according to user posts. Since HomeBiogas is headquartered in Israel, receiving new parts can be time consuming for Americans, some U.S. users say. 

Engineering obstacles are not isolated to individuals doing backyard anaerobic digestion. One of the two digesters at the Marin County wastewater treatment facility experienced a failure in 2021 which halted electricity generation for over six months, Dow said.

The pre-formed concrete dome on Vanderhyde’s digester collapsed in November 2017 due to a buildup of sulfuric acid, according to Vanderhyde. This ended his nine-year production of renewable energy and sparked a four-year legal battle with his insurance company on whether the system was covered. 

Despite the potential shortfalls, experts and users like Dowell still find the technology magical.

“Being able to see something that’s considered to be waste … be able to produce energy, was eye opening to me,” said Hobbs, who first learned of anaerobic digestion in college. 

Hobbs has since earned a doctorate in the field of sustainable environmental engineering and started a nonprofit called BioGals, which seeks to empower women of color and engage communities to co-create solutions for a more sustainable world. According to its site, a major project for the organization is building and implementing anaerobic digesters.

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University's Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.