Interview with Jenell Brewer, Lisa Coffey, March 6, 2019
Project: Painkiller: An Oral History of the Opioid Epidemic
Interview Summary
Jenell Brewer and Lisa Coffey discuss the personal events that led up to the founding of their recovery organization SPARK (Special People Advocating Recovery Kentucky), in Powell County, Kentucky. Both women recall the rise of prescription painkillers in their community in the early 2000s, followed by a surge of heroin and ensuing overdose deaths and destroyed family structures. Since SPARK began, overdose deaths in their hometown have decreased by 50%.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Lis Coffey
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview Keyword
Powell County, Kentucky poioid use advocacy faith Casey's Law Kentucky overdose substance abuseInterview Rights
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Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Brewer, Jenell Interview by Nadia Ramlagan. 06 Mar. 2019. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Brewer, J. (2019, March 06). Interview by N. Ramlagan. Painkiller: An Oral History of the Opioid Epidemic. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Brewer, Jenell, interview by Nadia Ramlagan. March 06, 2019, Painkiller: An Oral History of the Opioid Epidemic, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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