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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Addressing the root cause of the Heroin Epidemic

As I have been knocking on doors and visiting with voters over the past few months the number one question I get is “Why are you running?” I rarely have more than a few minutes to talk about the wide range of issues that I am focused on but during the conversation I always mention that I will be focused on reducing crime, improving education and rebuilding our economy because I believe those three are closely tied together. We must succeed at all three because we are seeing the results of failure of how to successfully address these issues. 

In this message, I wish to focus on Crime and specifically the rise of the Heroin epidemic on the Lower Shore. On a daily basis I see the cost of this epidemic, both monetarily and the human cost. The rise in burglaries, shoplifting, break-ins of personal vehicles and fraud is directly related to the increase of heroin on the Lower Shore. Nearly everyday there is an overdose in Wicomico County and once or twice a week we are seeing deaths as a result of heroine overdose. This is only going to get worse. 

The toll that it takes on families cannot be measured in monetary value alone. Children of addicts often get shuffled from place to place and are at such a disadvantage that invariably their lives often follow those of their parent(s) if they are not saved from the situation in time. This often results in grandparents and other family members raising the children of addicts and in some cases these children end up in foster care. 

So the question then becomes how do we address this issue? As you will notice I mentioned it is a Lower Shore issue. Though many of the crimes are being committed in Wicomico County, criminals and addicts do not know boundaries, neither should our solutions. 

Recently our State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello requested that the County allow him to create an additional position in the State’s Attorneys Office that would focus on addressing this issue with proven strategies taken from the High Point Initiative that were used in reducing violent crime in Wicomico County. The Council did not approve his request. 

We are at a frustrating stand still on addressing this issue. The police simply arrest addicts for stealing. The State’s Attorneys Office is simply prosecuting addicts. Probation and a little jail time is the most any ever see with very few of them receiving any real treatment for their addictions. We are all stuck in the cycle of this addiction because it is taxpayer resources paying for the same group of people to be arrested for petty crimes and the same group arresting the same people who then get prosecuted with judgement dispensed from the same group of people. 

Continually doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. It is time we tried something different and something proven because we must have a different result. 

This problem must be attacked from multiple directions to effectively get results. Understand, this is a long term plan and we must make the commitment to see it through. 

First, implementing investigative strategies from the High Point Initiative to shut down the network of the flow of heroin will require a regional, multi-state task force with Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. I would first focus on a partnership between Wicomico, Worcester and Sussex Counties. 

Second, community partnerships with churches and civic organizations are a necessary part of this plan to implement one of the aspects of addictions treatment. Many of these organizations offer programs such as Celebrate Recovery (for adults), Life Hurts, God Heals (for youth), other family counseling programs and parenting programs. Partnering with the State’s Attorneys Offices, Parole and Probation and the courts, these programs can be much more successful if the individuals in them understand the consequences yet have an established support system such as a church or other civic organization. 

Third, we need to understand that some addictions are so severe that they will require in-patient treatment. The largest obstacle of course is cost and this where we reach out to businesses and other organizations for grants and donations. The Community Foundation has been very successful at raising funds for good causes and would certainly be an organization that we would ask to step up to the plate. 

Fourth, education is our key to prevention. We must work closely with the board of education in finding or developing curriculum that educates our children on the importance of making good life decisions. We should also educate our children on the consequences of a life of bad choices. We spend too much money on education in this county to allow so many children to fall through cracks. Though we can’t control what happens outside the school, we are obligated to do everything we can to give them the tools they need to make good choices in life. 

Fifth, we must focus on pro-growth strategies to retain and build up the business that are the pillar of our community. We must also focus on initiatives that create opportunities to attract manufacturing and technology jobs to our area. Unemployment rates directly affect crime rates, which in turn affect the property values of an area which in turn affect the quality of education in area. We must commit to building a strong and diverse economy. 

I certainly do not have the all the details of everything we need to do. However, all of us together have the knowledge, the ability and the resources to address our problems head on with solutions that require a deep and long term commitment to doing what is right for our county and our children.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

All of the people , at least most , want the perfect world to live. Politics will bring out most issues that tell you problems and promises to solve them.
It's too late , too little too late. This crap doesn't work anymore .
Drugs , most of our population in the country depend on them , most are addictive . Easy fix for a major problem .
Just teach them to deal with life , if not , prescribe cyanide.

Anonymous said...

The best prescription for any problem , mental or physical , the King James version of the Bible.

Anonymous said...

If u gonna stop the flow of heroin into the bury, u need to focus on afghanistan first

Anonymous said...

Just teach them to deal with life , if not , prescribe cyanide.

June 20, 2014 at 6:53 AM

and you will be the first to take it

Anonymous said...

Boda and Cannon on Tuesday - dump Matt "RINO" Holloway.

Anonymous said...

or listen to Arjan Roskam When I was 17,” he told me, “I went to Thailand. In the north of Thailand, I was hiking and I met a very old man who at that time was curing heroin patients with marijuana. I stayed there for a week, and at that time, I thought the guy was really crazy. But the more I stayed, the more I learned from him,

Anonymous said...

This problem will not get better until the people of communities like ours have the courage to put it out there and address it, But the standard is Oh no don’t let anyone from the ourside see we have a problem, they may not want to cme here. How about hitting it head on and so parents and kids know how dangerous it is. Few people in this town kniw how many deaths and overdoeses we have because people are uniformed,,,or they hear it thrrough rumor, that’s a great way to keep up a good appearce.

Anonymous said...

Until the denial (lying really) stops, and people get slapped in the head with the truth that addiction IS NOT a disease will things ever change. It's a very curable choice people made and can be overcome when those afflicted become personally responsible and their enablers start telling them like it is, instead of making excuses for them with the "disease" BS.
Of course the "experts" want them to think they have a "disease" and excuse for failure because there is so much money to be made in "recovery" they want people to relapse.

Anonymous said...

People put way to much faith in politicans to solve problems. Sometimes the community has to go at these problems and help solve them.We have all went our separate ways but when it hits hard we all need to come together.

Anonymous said...

I've read this article several times, and other than more platitudes and cliches, I see nothing addressing the "root cause" of addiction. Filling up the inside from the outside is part of the addiction process. Someone once said an addiction is anything we're tempted to lie about; such a definition creates massive numbers of addicts!

JoeAlbero said...

I couldn't agree more with Muir.

It's refreshing to see a candidate going after core issues such as this one, while others IGNORE it.

Here's the thing. The PUBLIC, (thank God, in a way) is NOT aware of just how serious this problem is. Law Enforcement will flat out tell you, this is the biggest problem the Eastern Shore is facing right now.

It cost around $5.00 a hit for heroin. Try it once or twice and guess what, YOU ARE HOOKED FOR GOOD. It IS that addicting and it is that cheap.

These BASTARD dealers are giving it out for free in many cases just to get kids started and then they are hooked for life.

Once they are hooked, once they have stolen from their own families, they then start stealing wherever they can.

I can tell you that I had $50,000.00 worth of wiring stolen from one of my buildings. There was all sorts of other valuables there but they didn't touch them.

These addicts get very bold, even breaking into buildings during daylight hours. They are stealing A/C units from foreclosed homes like there is no tomorrow.

Once they burn out their own Families, what do they have left? These are usually, (not all the time) younger people. There is nowhere else for them to turn but their drug addict friends. They can't get clean, they have no support and YES, it is THEIR fault, I get that. However, we as a community have to work together to curb this problem.

Let me close by telling you this. I have spoken to MANY people in the Law Enforcement community. They have shared with me the FACT that I wouldn't believe just how many Families, (even the most respected local Families) that have been impacted by their children's addiction to heroin. IT'S THAT BAD.

So, while SOME of you may not fortunately have this particular problem, (thank God) it is hitting a LOT of Families.

Ignoring it is just plain STUPID. Muir is right on track and I will personally stand by his side in his quest to eliminate this massive problem and so should YOU.

It will hit you at home one way or the other. Either your child will get hooked OR someone will steal something from you. THEFT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IN WICOMICO COUNTY. Just ask Barbara Duncan or Mike Lewis.

Anonymous said...

7:50 AM

are you another medical health professional that got your degree from vo-tech? lol

You can state your opinion, even if it is wrong. But I doubt anyone will take your comment of addiction is NOT a disease seriously. An anonymous poster on a blog, or a trained medical doctor?

Hmmm, not much of a contest there is it?

Anonymous said...

I agree with Muir also, the problem is bigger than anyone knows, I know a family who's child had a procedure done at a dentist and they were prescribed pain pills, why I don't know, when the prescription ran out they were hooked and had to get that high again so they were turned on to Heroin. The doctors and dentist need to stop prescribing pain pills when Motrin would have been just fine. Instead of the health Dept doing a methadone clinic they need to add counseling instead getting them hooked on something else and then dropping them. The system is so screwed up!

Anonymous said...

Joe, your comment was far more insightful than Boda's.

But what does Wicomico have to choose from? Laura Mitchell? Not.

JoeAlbero said...

9:42, You will soon learn that Laura Mitchell has her own problems. ARE YOU LISTENING LAURA????

Anonymous said...

9:32 If I told you my credentials you would think I was bragging but one thing you can be
assured-I have forgotten more about the issue than you could ever hope to know and don't you ever forget it-You got it!
Now start using you brain for what it was intended and stop with the what you were "taught" (really socially engineered" to believe.
Everything is about the almighty dollar and the golden rule-he with the gold rules and don't you ever forget it. In the meantime they are feeding the robots like you shovel fulls of BS and you are eagerly swallowing it.
Those who stand to gain want people to be addicts so instead of any real attempt to curb the problem they continue to feed it. It's not just about the Big Business of "recovery" but also the prison systems and the big businesses that benefit with vendor contracts. If even a small percentage of addicts suddenly saw the light, stopped using drugs and stop using the services of addiction treatment (including methadone which in of itself is a 100 million dollar industry almost always paid for with government funds) the economy would suffer greatly.
Now wise up 9:32, crawl out of your hole and get out and see how it works in the real world-It would benefit you immensely.


Anonymous said...

Jail time is the best rehab in the world. It is not optional and it is free to the family of the addict. Sorry guys this herion thing is here to stay. America has allowed the major pharmacutical companies to turn kids and adult into addicts. Everyone takes a pill for everything. 50% of the t.v. commercials are drug related. It starts with Uncle Sam trust me they want a country full of pill heads so that we swallow the crap sandwich they are forcing down our throats.

Anonymous said...

Fact-Those who are addicted, and commit themselves to the idea that drug abuse is a social behaviour, as opposed to a disease, fare much better and do so most often without conventional addiction treatment.
Fact-According to a recent study (Johns Hopkins Balto City), poverty is significantly associated with heroin and cocaine addiction. Again the conventional thinking that drug addiction knows no socio economic barriers is false.
Fact-Drug usage is generational.
Fact-Those with meaningful employment are less likely to become users because employed persons have more structured time, have more contact with mainstream people and derive more meaning and purpose in life through work.

Anonymous said...

"Jail time is the best rehab in the world"

You are assuming that drug addicts are all coming from the proverbial house with a white picket fence. The reality isn't so. Jail/prison is a palace compared with the wretched conditions most live in day to day.
I can give you some examples from Baltimore City. I won't give exact addresses but these are where some known users I've dealt with live. Take a Street View tour down the 1800 block of McHenry St. For a real eyeful go to the 2000 block of Christian St.
The point is they get out of lockup and are instantly back in the hellhole.
Everyone thinks these people are on some kind of renters assistance but they aren't. I think one way to help with the problem is to crack down on those who rent to these people. As with Section 8 and other rent vouchers a property has to meet certain standards. The addicts don't care what they rent so long as it's very inexpensive.

Anonymous said...

"Everything is about the almighty dollar and the golden rule-he with the gold rules and don't you ever forget it."

Unfortunately this is true when it comes to addiction. Treatment for drug related (not even the addiction itself) injuries and conditions and disease such as HIV, hepatitis, etc exceed 12 billion a year. If that 12 billion were to suddenly disappear from the economy, jobs would be lost, and industries that feed off of addiction such as drug companies would see losses which would lead to stock prices falling as well as jobs and facilities closing to consolidate.

Anonymous said...

It was the drug companies that lobbied the fed govt (NIH and HHS) hard and with many $$$'s that resulted in addiction being classified as a disease. That is when treatment shifted from abstinence, to treating addiction as a chronic condition with other drugs such as methadone and antidepressants.
Several years ago a doctor that worked at a NY city owned treatment center blew the whistle on the farce treatment had become. He saw, first hand how addiction only meant job security for the staff and complete detox meant less patients which equated to less money for the center. He spoke of the nervousness exhibited by supervisors when the doors would stop revolving for short periods of time.

Anonymous said...

sixth- it is a cheap drug, poor mans high.

Anonymous said...

7:50AM, you nailed it. Waiting for someone/thing to take away an addiction will get you nowhere. It doesn't seem like at the time but addiction is a choice.

Anonymous said...

Its the only method to weed out the weak and weak minded that is somewhat moral. The weak are lost and there is profit for masses.

Anonymous said...

I would like Mr. Boda to comment on the half way house that is bussing in heroine addicts from the western shore to keep beds full and generate revenue. When one of them uses and violates the conditions of house residency they are kicked out onto the streets of Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

"Anonymous said...
I've read this article several times, and other than more platitudes and cliches, I see nothing addressing the "root cause" of addiction"

Exactly 8:54. The root cause is what needs to be addressed. The root cause is the breakdown of the family. It's not rocket science. Everyone needs to stop being politically correct and start telling it like it is.
Political correctness dictates that drug addicts should not be "stigmatized." If anything needs a stigma attached to it, it should be drug addicts. These selfish people deserve no sympathy. Like these drug addicted "mothers." How low can you be to bring a child into the world while you are nothing more than a foul, disgusting drug abuser?

Anonymous said...

I just want to know why addicts can get their methadone at the hospital and walk right across the street and get in a vehicle and drive away. They are definitely not fit to drive

Anonymous said...

I have taken people in to help with their addiction. One of the things that really blows my mind is how ineffective the County's recovery program is designed.

They will put people on Methadone and keep increasing the dosage. Each week the dosage goes up a little more in order to help mask the withdrawal symptoms of Heroin or Oxy addiction.

The problem is they never start reducing the dosage the wean them off Methadone.

One girl we took in had to go for Methadone every day. Years later she is still showing up for her methadone dose. She is clean from all the other drugs but still goes for Methadone every day because it is also addictive and the County Health Dept. does not seem to have a program to wean them from the Methadone.

I can only suspect that the Health Dept. thinks that reducing the amount of addicts showing up on a daily basis to get Methadone will result in their funds being cut. As long as they are now the sole providers of these people's addictions then the funds will continue to flow.

Also I want to point out that the drug counseling center that they had behind the Good Will was a real joke. All the dealers go there because they know there is a steady supply of addicts that they can sell too.

I have seen people do well until they started going to the counseling center and met up with even more shady people.

Part of the reason this place is such a bad influence is due to the people being forced into drug counseling by the courts.

Many of the people who get busted and are forced to go to these drug classes don't really want to get better and change their lives. They then attend these classes and are mixed with the people who voluntarily put themselves in those classes and want to try and change.

This is a bad mix because the people who want to recover are week and the best thing for them is to be as far away from those who are there by force and want to continue to party.

They really need to hold separate classes for those who are forced into Drug counseling and those who want to try and get their lives together.

Over all it just seems the County's treatment system is useless.

Anonymous said...

11:08 gets how it works. It's all about the dollar. Addiction so called treatment isn't designed to work. It's designed to line the pockets of Big Business and anyone who doesn't think so, hasn't spent any time "inside the Beltway" and is naïve to the comings and goings on on Capital Hill.
First and foremost addiction is NOT a disease. Don't be fooled. Calling it a disease was pushed through by all those who profit. It gives the user an excuse as to why they "can't" quit and their loved ones an excuse to explain their addiction as well. The only programs that show any real successes are those who refuse to call addiction a disease.