The Chronicles of Loving A Heroin Addict: This Is Why Criminalizing An Addict Does Not Work

Thursday, June 30, 2016

This Is Why Criminalizing An Addict Does Not Work

We who love someone addicted to heroin have heard others say, "Just Put Them All In Jail" before. I bet you have to. Maybe you thought it was the best thing for someone abusing. Years ago when my son went to jail for the crimes he was committing in order to get heroin- the stealing- I thought jail was the place he needed to be. YES- For those crimes he committed.

Sure if you commit a crime, there should be a punishment. BUT having the disease of addiction to heroin is not a crime. It is a disease. If someone you love had a disease and all you ever heard was, they should go to jail, how would you feel?

Jail is not a detox center. They don't care in jail about those using and abusing heroin. They don't care about the medical part of it. They are not a medical facility. They are a jail.

I saw this the other day. I saved it and I just cannot stop thinking about it because of comments people make about our son. YES, he has committed crimes for his addiction. YES, he should go to jail, but not to DETOX there.

After watching this video, my heart goes out to this family. I am terrified for our son. He will sooner or later be picked up for his crimes and he will without a doubt detox at the Eastern Regional Jail. This terrifies me.

Our son needs to be medically supervised. He has tried to detox on his own and goes into seizures. Our son has had hundreds possibly thousands of seizures from using, abusing and trying to quit and detox. We don't know how many he has had.

They need to rethink how those using and abusing are treated. They aren't animals. They are human lives. Many are crying out and begging for help. There is nowhere to send them. The longer they are in their addiction without help, the easier it is for them to slip up and commit a crime and end up in jail.

As mentioned I have thought about it since this video was in my Facebook Newsfeed and I have to share this... My heart goes out to the family of Tyler Tabor. A Life Lost...

Not one person should lose their life like this... ever! They need to rethink the way that those addicted are treated, not for their crimes, but for their addiction to this powerful drug.

Video From youtube

© 2016 Gossip Girl

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What Are Our Issues In Berkeley County/Martinsburg WV? We have no clear solutions!!!!

Besides this heroin epidemic?
We really have no clear solutions to the problem or so it seems on this side of the addiction...

1- The high numbers of Overdose and Preventable Death Our numbers of OD's and OD causing death continue to rise.
Drug use and the disorders that go along with it are still going untreated.

Our town officials and the local media need to stop using the catch phrase, "Dispelling Rumors" when referring to this heroin epidemic here! What rumors? There is no place for the word rumors in the discussion about this heroin epidemic. The numbers we have is data and statistics!!!!

2-We have No Drug Treatment Here We need treatment on demand. When someone is suffering a heart attack or a stroke they go to the hospital. That person will get triaged in the ER, tests are run, they will go to the ICU for further medical care. They are under constant medical supervision 24/7 and will get the best of all medical care. When someone is suffering from heroin addiction and they go to the hospital they get Narcan, often laughed at and put down, called a junkie and later released back to the streets where the cycle of drug abuse continues. When a person is suffering from a heroin addiction they shouldn't have to say they are suicidal and going to kill themselves to get access to a treatment facility. It should be available to them when they need it!

Something is clearly wrong with that!

3-We continue Criminalizing Those Who Are Addicted
We have a judicial system in this country that continues handcuffs instead of help! The intent is that the spiraling addict will "get it together" without any treatment induces harm, it cost money, causes recidivism and is no way solving the real problem.

4-We have No Harm Reduction- No Needle Exchange

5-No Community Awareness but plenty of NIMBY: Not In My Backyard
Mentality

6. Drugged Driving: Drug Driving Is Becoming A Huge Problem in all of WV. The numbers are only increasing. Driving while intoxicated (Alcohol) used to be the biggest problem on the roadways. Now you don't know who may be on the roads under the influence of powerful drugs like heroin.

7. Not only does the "Heroin Highway" go through this town but, Martinsburg's (WV) new nickname is Little Baltimore

8. This epidemic affects everyone. We need more Awareness here. Community Awareness, Youth Awareness and Parent Awareness. We must make people face the reality that the prejudice and injustice in literally killing people and that is data proven!

9. STOP The Stigma relating to heroin abuse. If we had Community Awareness we wouldn't have the stigma here.

10. We need to end the discriminatory practice and policies that often discriminate people with substance abuse problems and those who abuse with a criminal record excluding them from finding suitable jobs, their rights and opportunities. Many of these policies even those who have recovered.

11. We need a Strategic Public Health Awareness Campaign here.

12. More Awareness Is Needed to the problem which involves everyone on the same page, at the same table and in the same room to come up with solutions.

13. We need more youth awareness in our community.

14. More Parental Awareness Needed

15. We need to STOP the silence about this heroin epidemic here. We need to SPEAK the truth about heroin and this epidemic and we need to START the conversation!

It Will Take The Entire Village

If you are not part of the solution, then you are the problem.

In the beginning of all of this- the heroin, the epidemic- many years ago they said cigarettes was non addictive. Then in the late 80's came OxyContin. We were told that too was non addictive. Now weed is being marketed as, non addictive. Haven't we learned yet that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results? When will we ever learn?

Some Positive Initiatives Happening in our Community..

The Recovery Resource Center opened. It's located at 400 W. Stephen St in Martinsburg. Kevin Knowles is the Recovery Services Coordinator.

The #wvdayofhope

On Dec. 6, 2016 Martinsburg City Zoning Approved the Detox Center which will be located on Wilson St. in Martinsburg.

Important Upcoming Events

Mark You Calendars:

If your group has an event coming up, please let me know!

Update on Narcan Classes:

Classes will not be held every Friday now. They will now be held the first Friday of the month (starting May 6th) at the Martinsburg health department at 3:00. Whoever wants to attend needs to call the health department and sign up.

The third Friday of the month (starting May 20th) there will be on at 6:00 at Callahan Counseling Services 1020 Winchester Ave. There is no need to sign up for this one.

Callahan Counseling is located at 1020 Winchester Ave in Martinsburg, WV. This class starts at 6 PM. Visit Narcan Training of the Eastern Panhandle for more information

If interested in taking the Narcan Classes please sign up. Lately there has not been a lot of attendance. If this continues it is likely the local classes will stop.

Every Sunday Evening Nar-Anon meeting @ 6PM The group meets at Trinity UM Church on Martin St. in Martinsburg

Find a NA or Recovery Meeting Here in Martinsburg