In the never-ending fight against the drug epidemic, a nonprofit organization is helping to educate the public about resources

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – From the current opioid crisis to overdose deaths to addiction.

The drug epidemic knows no distinction, and many Kentuckians battle this crisis every day.

Currently, the city of Lexington is reporting an increase in suspected non-fatal drug overdoses since June 2, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

To help those affected, a nonprofit organization organized an event to educate others about drug safety and recovery options.

It is still the fight of our lives: the war on drugs.

“Every time we impose a harsher penalty for a drug, something worse is coming,” says John Bowman, KY Senior Campaign Manager at Dream.org

For the nonprofit organization dream.org, raising awareness about the imbalance between substance abuse and incarceration is one of its driving forces.

“Our punitive drug laws are a real strain on our system and they are also a cause of mass incarceration,” Bowman added.

For Bowman, his fight for education goes even deeper, as he himself has been battling drug addiction for over two decades.

“When I was doing drugs, I didn’t care about the punishment,” Bowman said.

His mission now is to help others through education and keep communities safe.

Meanwhile, Georgetown Police Department employees have introduced programs to help them integrate into society and break down stigmas.

“Our Angel program is this: When someone calls our soup kitchen and says we have someone who really needs some kind of treatment, we work closely with them. We go to them wherever they are and meet them where they are. We sit down with them and find out what kind of help they need,” says Officer Jason Christopher of the Georgetown Police Department's Community and Recovery and Support Team.

Christopher says it all starts with everyone feeling human.

“It's about meeting them where they are and making it clear to them, 'Hey, I'm here if you need me,'” he adds.

His struggle to help others is also a personal one.

“I have been a police officer for 20 years, my son suffers from this, I have been fighting with him for 12 years. I have not saved him yet, but if I can't save him, I will save someone else's child. But one day he will come,” he said.

He added that Georgetown has made access to Narcan easier for those who need it, especially given that even more harmful drugs are available there.

“It doesn't choose anyone, it doesn't care who you are, and fentanyl is a completely different, completely different poison,” Christopher said.

For Bowman and the nonprofit's staff, it's about closing prison doors and opening doors to new opportunities.

To learn more about the Angel Program, one of Scott County's addiction support programs, click here.

You can get a Narcan kit from the Lexington Fire Department or the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, for example.