Issue Position: The Drug Epidemic Plan

Issue Position

The Drug Epidemic Plan "Team Cook 2016"

We must point out and focus on possible courses of action that would address the "Gateways" into our current Drug epidemic, and not solely focus our efforts on the treatment of the current drug epidemic, two totally separate approaches. The goal is to stop the problem before it truly starts. If people never use drugs, then they do not need therapy.

The entry into drug addiction is complex and if there was a simple solution it would have be presented and instituted already. We should also caution about playing the "Blame Game". Placing blame on any segments of society or a single cause would be unwise. The causes creating the "Gateways" to our epidemic span all generational and social economic groups, and the roads taken by each individual vary.

Our society's acceptance of how we treat pain with Opiate drugs must change. I choose to believe that people do not wake up one morning and say "I think I'll become addicted to drugs today!" I've found that individuals who have overcome their addition and share their story provide a very powerful tool in educating those of us of the "Gateways". We must first make society aware of the possible entry ways into the hell of addiction!

First, the Epidemic is not unique to our region; however, it does appear to be more acute here. Washington County has the perceived label of the worst heroin overdose death toll in the United States! Conditions in our region such as blight (residential and industrial), lack of employment, the lack of recreational opportunities, lack of proper investment of these opportunities by the proper agencies, geographic location (proximity to interstate highways, rivers, and rail lines), sporadic police coverage, and the absence of Leadership all contribute to the issues at hand. These issues can be addressed at a local, county, and state levels combined. Although the federal level contributes to the problem in various ways, our combined efforts from a state level to lower levels can drastically address the problem with proper teamwork and effort.

Second, as a region and state, we need to get the word out as to the "How" good people are becoming addicted! I'm a fan of people sharing their personal stories, via a weekly story in the paper, a presentation at a social meeting, or going into the schools to make our children aware of the many "Gateways" to these addictions. While a "Recovering" Drug Addict might not make the most appealing speaker at the monthly Chamber of Commerce meeting; it would have the potential to reach an unaware population of our society! There are already good programs out there, we should look at the most successful ones then promote and implement them where feasible.

The region as a whole is suffering from generations of compiled ignorance, neglect, and oversight. This epidemic is a domino effect and we must understand as a society how things affect one another. We cannot keep accepting the same actions, or lack thereof and think that things are magically going to get better. Below are ten of the problem areas we conclude are connected either directly or indirectly to the drug epidemic that need addressed. The attached document on page two addresses the drug epidemic from "Ground Zero", Washington County, Pennsylvania.

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