A bus ride helps Southeast Georgia communities fight addiction

• Georgia saw a 62% increase in drug overdose deaths between 2019 and 2021.
• The Mobilize Recovery Across Georgia bus tour helps educate communities about recovery resources.
• It is funded with $600,000 from the state’s opioid settlement.
• Watch the video to hear from people in addiction recovery about why resources like these are needed.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT

“It’s just a special part of Georgia.”

Jeff Breedlove loves coming home to Valdosta to visit friends and enjoy our downtown.

But this time, he’s back with a mission: to help those suffering from addiction.

“I was arrested when I was chief of staff for an elected office in 2016, and then I went to treatment and went into recovery, and I’ve been in recovery, Lord willing, this October 26, 8 years”.

Breedlove is now a chief strategist at the Georgia Recovery Council. He has been traveling the state as part of the Mobilize Recovery Across Georgia bus tour to share his story.

“All my life was… just existing. Not living. And now I know hope.”

Jeff and others on the Recovery tour are trying to help other Georgians feel the same way.

Georgia saw a 62% increase in drug overdose deaths between 2019 and 2021, largely driven by opioid-related deaths.

As part of our state’s opioid deal, the state has funded $600,000 to mobilize efforts to bring recovery resources to communities like Valdosta.

State Rep. Dexter Sharper of Valdosta tells me that also comes with tougher laws cracking down on drug trafficking.

“Everybody who sells drugs wants what they call the best drugs to sell and adding these different things to drugs is just going to be harmful, it’s going to be deadly, so we see that and also from a legislative standpoint we’re cracking down.”

According to data from the Georgia Department of Health, Lowndes County in particular has seen a slight drop in opioid overdoses starting in 2022. In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas reporting for ABC27.