Take-back Tuesdays Help Fight Opiate Addiction
The City of Dublin launched a new initiative in October to collect unused and expired prescription pills. Dublin Police held “Take-back Tuesday” events at two Dublin parks to provide a convenient, safe way for residents to dispose of their medications. Around 150 people participated in the two events. This was just the latest effort in the City’s ongoing commitment to fighting opiate addiction
Heroin abuse continues to be problem throughout Ohio, and Dublin is not immune to this epidemic.
Dublin Police Chief Heinz von Eckartsberg stresses that many crimes are committed by known or suspected heroin users but not classified as a “heroin incident,” so the problem is actually more pervasive than what the data can show.
In late 2015, the City of Dublin took steps to encourage a community solution for this community problem. Dublin Police hosted a Community Town Hall on Heroin Abuse, in partnership with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Dublin A.C.T. Coalition, Dublin P.E.R.C., Syntero of Dublin and Dublin City Schools.
“It feels great to live in a community that cares and is willing to be proactive and try to get in front of a problem.” Mark Brubaker, Dublin resident
Approximately 200 people attended the Community Town Hall at the Dublin Community Recreation Center on December 9, 2015. The meeting marked the beginning of an educational campaign to make Dublin residents more aware of the heroin epidemic and how it is affecting families and property crimes in Dublin.
“We want to educate the community,” says Dublin Police Chief Heinz von Eckartsberg. “I think a lot of people are surprised to learn that heroin is here, in Dublin, right now, and it is affecting us all, whether or not someone close to you is struggling with addiction. A large number of our property crimes are directly tied to heroin abuse and addiction.”
Dublin Police personnel continue to work with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office and other community partners to offer ongoing educational opportunities for the community.
Signs of Heroin Use:
- Slurred speech, slow movements, runny nose/eyes, constricted pupils, increased fatigue/unusual amount of sleeping.
- Change in friends, decline in grades, neglected hygiene and appearance.
- Unexplained small foil balls or plastic bags/balloons, capsules, Visine Eye Drops squirt bottle (used for snorting), missing items such as spoons, aluminum foil, checks or cash or patterns of borrowing money with nothing to show for it.
- If your child is injecting, his/her drug use has likely progressed. Track marks are a giveaway, but users who inject are typically doing so in hidden places on their bodies.
*Source: Drug Free Action Alliance
Do you know what heroin looks like?
The baggies on the left contain raw heroin in solid form (brown substance).
The blue balloon holds the plastic baggies with the raw heroin inside.
The bags on the right contain small multicolored balloons with black tar heroin inside.
A closer look at small balloons containing tar heroin.
A heroin injection “kit.” Clockwise from left:
- Spoon used to cook the heroin into liquid form
- Tie-off (can be anything from an exercise rubberband, a belt, or a piece of clothing, etc.)
- The clear container just held all of the other items
- Paper towel
- Syringe (hypodermic needle)
Plastic wrapping around a balloon containing tar heroin.
Plastic wrapping and balloon opened up to reveal heroin.
Resources
Addiction Center – https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/heroin
Dublin A.C.T. Coalition – www.dublinact.org
Drug Free Action Alliance – www.drugfreeactionalliance.org
Ohio Attorney General’s Office – www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Victims/Drug-Diversion
Ohio Substance Abuse Resources for Students – https://www.columbusrecoverycenter.com/students/
Operation Street Smart – https://sheriff.franklincountyohio.gov/programs/operation-street-smart-drug-education.cfm
P.E.R.C. (Parents Encouraging Responsible Choices) – www.percdublin.org
Parent Resource Guide – www.dublinact.org/resources.html
Start Talking! – http://starttalking.ohio.gov
Syntero, Inc. – www.syntero.org
Precision Labs (drug testing services) – www.urinalysislabs.com
Ridgeview Behavioral Hospital – http://ridgeviewhospital.net
The Recovery Village: https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/heroin-addiction
The Woods at Parkside – http://www.thewoodsatparkside.com
The Prevention Coalition is a group dedicated to educating parents, teachers and concerned community members about teen drug use and ways to prevent it.
Watch
Heroin at Home: An Ohio Epidemic – 10TV
Marin’s Story: The Battle against Heroin
Dublin Police Officers to Carry Narcan
Effective January 1, 2016 Dublin Police officers on patrol and investigators will carry Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of heroin and other opiates in the case of an overdose.
Dublin Police Chief Heinz von Eckartsberg made the announcement during a Dec. 9 Dublin town hall meeting about heroin.
Dublin City Schools to Stock Schools with Naloxone
Dublin City Schools will have Naloxone in all of its schools. Employees will be trained in how to administer he anti-overdose drug. Administrators say they will train 20 percent of its staff including teachers, coaches and custodians. The district adopted a policy to carry have it on all 20 campuses.
Read more here- http://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/dublin-to-have-naloxone-in-all-20-of-its-schools
Dublin Community Takes Next Step in Fight Against Opiates
Dublin is advancing in its battle against heroin and prescription drug abuse.
The Dublin ACT Coalition last week led a community workshop to come up with an action plan to fight the heroin and opiate problem that has spread throughout the country.
Prescription Pills
Many heroin abusers first become addicted to prescription pills and then transition to heroin, which can be cheaper and more easily accessible. The City of Dublin has taken steps to educate the public about prescription pill abuse, including placing a prescription pill drop box at the Justice Center, located at 6565 Commerce Parkway. The box is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The box provides a convenient, safe and environmentally-friendly way for Dublin residents to dispose of unused or expired medications, which can keep unused pills from getting into the wrong hands.
Addiction a Chronic Disease of the Brain, Not a Character Flaw: Surgeon General
Many people still see addiction as a character flaw instead of a chronic disease of the brain, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. He told The Huffington Post that to address the opioid epidemic, it is necessary to “change how our country sees addiction.”
Almost two million Americans are addicted to prescription opioids, Dr. Murthy told the publication’s Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington. Read more – http://www.drugfree.org/news-service/addiction-chronic-disease-brain-not-character-flaw-surgeon-general/
4 Healthy Outlets for Dealing with Addiction
When coping with addiction, the road to recovery can be difficult. Half of recovery is learning to take your mind off your substance of choice, which can be extremely difficult without something to replace it. With that in mind, here are a few healthy ways for you to refocus your energy and speed the recovery process. Read the entire story
H20 “Hope to Others”
H2O is an open support group for parents, of children any age, who have been impacted by alcohol or drugs. Find out More
