By Quinn O’Hara

The Clay Counts Coalition has announced that their next Courageous Conversations will address the nationwide fentanyl crisis.

According to the Kansas Division of Public Health, 412 Kansas residents died from synthetic drug poisoning in 2022 – a 18.7% increase from the previous year.

The night’s presenter, Jenni Ebert, is the Community Health Educator for Geary, Riley, and Pottawatomie counties.

Ebert’s son was one of the 347 Kansans KDPH reported died from a synthetic drug overdose in 2021. Since then, she has joined a new task force and advocates for substance abuse awareness. Lori Martin, the Clay Counts Coalition’s Community Mobilizer, said Ebert will speak at the Rex Theatre on Wednesday, March 27, on her story and how the fentanyl crisis affects small town Kansas.

The Coalition will also be handing out Narcan, a medicine used to reverse the effects of a drug overdose, to those who attend the event.