“It greatly helps us when we are able to reduce the amount of overdoses and prevent overdose deaths and reduce the number of people that we have that are addicted out there,” McLaughlin said. “A lot of their crimes come back to drugs regardless of whether it’s a drug crime or not. Drugs aren’t cheap, so they find ways to be able to get their drugs.”

McLaughlin noted that the Columbiana County Drug Task Force does a terrific job for what they do, and events like Operation Bridge further bolsters what they do on a day-to-day basis.

He also said that he knows events like this have helped get people into treatment. He said he believes that they were able to get two people into treatment at the Operation Bridge held in Salem on Thursday and believed that before the day ended on Friday there would be more.

The event serving food was helpful in not only meeting the needs of the hungry, but also aided in bringing people in to see the resources available to them.

Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin speaks out on the drug problem in Columbiana County during a press conference held during the Operation Bridge event. Employees of East Liverpool City Hospital man a table in front of McLaughlin to hand out resources available in the community. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

McLaughlin said that the amount of people who came through the event was absolutely shocking and beyond words.

Operation Bridge held Thursday at Salem Memorial Building and Friday in East Liverpool at House of Grace was an event designed to bring a host of community resources together in one spot to provide meals, resource information, health screenings and treatment options to those in needs.

Midway through the event on Friday, which ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., over 450 people were fed by either dining in, taking carry out, or volunteers canvassing the area to deliver meals to those who couldn’t make it to the event. Over 190 Naloxone kits and over 30 Fentanyl strips were handed out and resource providers made over 400 contacts with people attending the event.

McLaughlin said he appreciated all the resources that showed up at the East Liverpool and Salem events.

“This is truly amazing that we can have this many resources come to light for people that need those,” McLaughlin said.

Edie McCune and Brenda Drogosz, volunteers from the House of Grace, bag up hot meals for carry out during the Operation Bridge event held Friday. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

McLaughlin also noted that Columbiana County wasn’t a source location but a demand location when it comes to drugs and that being a demand location means a lot of problems and that is what events like Operation Bridge is all about.

“It isn’t always about enforcement,” McLaughlin said. “You got to fight this battle from all angles.”

Representatives from multiple agencies such as the Columbina County Prosecutor’s Office, The Ohio Department of Public Safety, Columbiana County Mental Health Recovery Services Board and the Ohio Department of Health spoke out about the drug problems in Ohio and Columbiana County during the event.

Representatives from nine local law enforcement agencies took part in the two-day event.

State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (79th District-R) said she was proud of Operation Bridge.

“Events like today fill me with hope that together with our partners we can make the opioid crisis a thing of the past for all Ohioans,” Blasdel said. “It is my sincere hope and prayer that today Operation Bridge and the work that has been done this week will send a strong message to all of those in our community who are asking for help. That message is, Columbiana County is here for you, and it is my hope that everyone receives the services that they want and really need and that we can support them as a community.”

Over 40 resource providers took part in the event over the two days and at both locations.

Community resource providers at the East Liverpool event included East Liverpool City Hospital, Family Recovery Education Department, Help Network of Northeast Ohio, Celebrate Recovery, The Counseling Center, the Columbiana County Prosecutor’s Office, Columbiana WIC (Women, Infants and Children), Family Recovery Project Dawn, Ozer Ministries, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office, Columbiana County Veterans Service Commission, East Liverpool Health District, Community Legal Aid, Columbiana Board of Development Disabilities, Humana and Family Care Ministries.