The Opioid Crisis
Clip: Episode 1 | 1m 43sVideo has Closed Captions
How the opioid epidemic intersects with the homelessness crisis.
How the opioid epidemic intersects with the homelessness crisis.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
AT ISSUE is a local public television program presented by KSPS PBS
The Opioid Crisis
Clip: Episode 1 | 1m 43sVideo has Closed Captions
How the opioid epidemic intersects with the homelessness crisis.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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At Issue: Poison on the West Plains
PFAS chemicals have left Spokane's West Plains residents without safe drinking water.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipWe hear about these things, but we're wondering, okay, if that's all true, why are other cities dealing with it?
Is Spokane just so uniquely situated, economically and geographic, and otherwise, that we have this problem that's insurmountable and all you citizens should just ignore what you're seeing with your own eyes every day as you go downtown.
I don't think we should.
No one has said that.
So it's not insurmountable.
About three weeks ago, we had a joint meeting with, the mayor, city council, county commissioners, where we had a presentation from Sheriff Nowels, Chief Hall, and talked about how Spokane is a fentanyl trafficking hub from Southern California up through tri cities, from Montana.
We're it, I mean, when they discovered, really, I think the largest and only pill machine of its kind in the western United States, it was in Spokane.
And so we have to recognize that.
And there's been a lot of levers we've been pulling to get a handle on this, including which was on pause for a while from the federal government, prosecutor in the US Attorney's office to work with the city to investigate and charge, traffickers to stop it at the source, from from it coming in.
And so, we do have to recognize that.
Yes.
Like, this is not insurmountable.
But, there is the growth of challenges here that with our growth, it's not being commensurate to, I think, a lot of what we've seen, on the streets and trying to wrap our arms around that and it feels like we're catching up.
But I do think there's a lot of good things on the horizon that we are going to start to see.
A reverse of the trend.
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Preview: Ep1 | 35s | Spokane has problems-from housing to policing to drug treatment. What are the solutions? (35s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 4m 8s | The owners of Domini Sandwiches and Solitude Barbershop discuss the challenges of downtown business. (4m 8s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 2m 8s | We ask our panel of local experts what one action Spokane should take to address homelessness. (2m 8s)
Explaining H.O.M.E. Starts Here
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Clip: Ep1 | 2m 44s | Spokane city leaders describe how new proposals will help end homelessness before it begins. (2m 44s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 1m 22s | Joe Ader, the CEO of Family Promise of Spokane, shares the story of a little girl in a shelter. (1m 22s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 46s | Help is available for people experiencing homelessness. Hear it from those who’ve been there. (46s)
Inside the Homeless Navigation Center
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Clip: Ep1 | 4m 48s | Inside the center of Spokane's new specialized shelter model helping people end homelessness. (4m 48s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 1m 27s | Solitude Barbershop owner Jake Rosenberg talks about the impact homelessness has on his business. (1m 27s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 1m 10s | What homeless service providers want you to know about the work they do. (1m 10s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 2m 8s | Spokane Police Assistant Chief Steve Wohl explains how officers practice compassionate enforcement. (2m 8s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 1m 50s | Kathy shares how she went from having a family and a good paying job to living in her car. (1m 50s)
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AT ISSUE is a local public television program presented by KSPS PBS