Spokane drug crisis leads to high demand for resources | Spokane News

SPOKANE, Wash. – Despite years of talks, Gabriel Minchow, founder and president of the Spokane Outreach Networking Group, says he sees no change in Spokane's drug problem.

Minchow, who struggled with addiction himself, moved to Spokane 10 years ago for treatment and has been sober ever since. He now runs a group to help people currently struggling with addiction.

Looking back on his journey, Minchow said he knew he had to act after witnessing the severity of the drug problems in the inner city.

“You see it – it's obvious when you go downtown. The crisis we're facing is taking members from our communities, taking our loved ones far too soon,” Minchow said.

Statistics released by the Spokesman-Review earlier this year show that the Spokane Fire Department administered nearly 33% more Narcan in May than in previous months. In addition, Britain's Daily Mail published an article on Sunday criticizing how the city has handled the downtown crisis.

In response to these rising numbers, Minchow has created a free and easily accessible resource guide that highlights over 250 recovery organizations that support people in their battle with addiction.

“We are working with local city and county authorities. We are working with statewide authorities and even the federal government to find a unified approach to combat the fentanyl crisis,” Minchow explained.

He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to help others recover.

“It just means a lot to me and I want to thank the community from the bottom of my heart for supporting us in this mission,” Minchow added.

The resource guide, released Friday, is designed to help individuals find programs that meet their personal needs on their path to recovery.