HARRISVILLE — A coalition for a drug-free Alcona County is in the works, lead by Mike Maturen, substance abuse prevention specialist with Catholic Human Services.

The coalition would be comprised of people in government, law enforcement and education, as well as members of the community and youth who would work together to find a way to get the problem under control. Maturen believes a group of like-minded people working together will be able to accomplish more than individuals working by themselves.

The coalition would focus on educational outreach initiatives aimed at raising awareness about substance abuse.

He recently told the Alcona County Board of Commissioners that, for the first time ever, people are more likely to die from a drug overdose than an automobile accident.

Maturen was referencing a report from the National Safety Council released earlier this month that said the odds of dying from opioid drugs in 2017 was 1 in 93, compared to the odds of dying in a car crash in 2017, which were 1 in 103.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in December that there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017, with 46,700 of those — or 67.8 percent — involving opioids.

Putting that number into perspective, Maturen said more people died from drug overdoses last year than the number of U.S. military casualties in the Vietnam War. There were 58,220 U.S. military casualties of the Vietnam War, according to the National Archives website.

“There’s all sorts of different drugs of abuse in the area, but I think the number-one problem locally and nationwide is the opioid crisis,” he said.

Preliminary state data shows there were no opiod-related deaths in Alcona County in 2017, the most recent year data is available, the Detroit Free Press reported in October. There were eight such deaths in Alpena County, one such death in Montmorency County, and no such deaths in Presque Isle County, the data shows.

Local health officials, however, said some deaths may be related to opioids but not necessarily categorized as such. Causes of death may be listed as “other,” for example, or cardiac arrest may be the cause of death but it may not be known or noted if drugs contributed to that cardiac arrest.

Resources to help people overcome substance abuse are limited in Alcona County. Maturen said that, aside from a couple of substance abuse counselors and the county’s drug court, most people with substance abuse problems have to travel to either Alpena or Tawas to get any in-depth help.

The coalition would also address substance abuse issues related to alcohol, marijuana and teenagers who are “vaping,” or using electronic cigarettes that vaporize liquids — often filled with nicotine — to be inhaled.

Maturen explained in an email to The News that many officials are concerned more teens will begin using marijuana now that adults have greater access to it, legally. Michigan voters approved the recreational use of marijuana in November. It’s still illegal for anyone younger than 21 to use or possess marijuana.

Maturen would like to see the coalition come together by summer. He said there are coalitions in other counties and he would use their frameworks to help get the coalition up and running more quickly.

For more information about the Coalition for a drug-free Alcona County or to participate in the coalition, contact Maturen at mmaturen@catholichumanservices.com.