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| Team takes aim at substance abuse problem |
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5/24/2013
By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer
A team of concerned citizens have joined forces to tackle the growing problem of substance abuse.
The Montgomery County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) has been meeting for a few months now and is beginning to formulate an organized attack against drug and alcohol abuse.
The team’s mission statement is “To prevent and reduce the harmful effects of the abuse of alcohol, drugs and related problems by providing leadership, educational prevention, support of early intervention, treatment recommendations and promotion and support of continued aftercare recovery.”
Mt. Sterling Police Chief David Charles serves as the team chairman. Charles said the group hopes to streamline the process for people seeking help from addiction and reduce the prevalence of substance abuse.
“This gives focus to a problem,” he said. “When you attack a problem as individuals you are rarely as successful as when you do it as a group and bring everybody’s resources to bear. The old saying ‘many hands bring light work’ is correct.”
The team was created as part a county-wide effort led by the Montgomery County Health Dept., known as the MAPP Partnership. It began last year.
MAPP, which includes community leaders and other concerned citizens, has been focusing on improving the county’s health. As a result, three subcommittees were formed, including groups aimed at fighting substance abuse, teen pregnancy and obesity.
At Montgomery County ADAPT’s most recent meeting Monday, the team approved its mission statement and discussed its goals and objectives.
Many of the goals being discussed center around awareness and prevention.
The team hopes to do so with forums for the public and medical professionals, as well as through distribution of brochures and business cards providing information on where to seek help.
An upcoming public forum will tackle the issue of heroin abuse.
Heroin recently took the life of a local man who was found dead from an overdose in the parking lot of a business. A needle was reportedly sticking out of his arm when first responders arrived.
This was the second heroin overdose death to occur in Montgomery in the past two years.
Charles and fellow law enforcement officers, including Montgomery County Sheriff Fred Shortridge, have been warning that heroin is gaining a foothold here. Many drug users are turning to heroin because it is cheaper to obtain than prescription pills, but no less deadly.
Charles is pursuing statistics to illustrate the extent of the local problem.
The team plans to distribute brochures outlining the signs of drug abuse and where to get help at the forum. A committee was named to come up with a preliminary design for the brochures including the newly approved team logo.
Another forum is planned for local medical professionals, many of whom are unfamiliar with the signs of drug abuse themselves, the team says. The team also asked that dentists be included because they prescribe pain medication as well.
Dates and times for those forums have not been set.
In addition to awareness, the team discussed ways to get youths more involved in community activities to keep them away from alcohol and drugs.
One suggestion, from team member Gary Hutson, was to set aside time at Easy Walker Park for youths to ride their bicycles during the summer.
Charles, who also serves as a member of the parks and recreation commission, said Easy Walker is too dangerous for bike riding on the existing trail, but suggested use of Herb Botts Park during designated hours.
Use of that park would also allow an opportunity to promote the new disc golf course there, Charles said. He noted that youths involved in sports are much less likely to get involved with drugs and alcohol.
Charles and Hutson say the team is more likely to succeed than other groups such as Open Eyes and Champions Against Drugs because it relies on a broader range of community involvement.
Open Eyes and Champions both folded after a few years in operation.
Charles noted that the team, made up of about 25 members, includes law enforcement, medical professionals, mental health professionals, clergy, rehab operators, public officials and recovering addicts.
“This is more inclusive with different groups and different ideologies to bring everyone to the table, which is one of our goals,” Charles said.
Hutson said he believes the foundation laid by previous efforts such as Open Eyes and Champions will lead to a stronger, lasting organization this time around.
“We hope that we can keep this team together and make this an everlasting project,” Hutson said.
The team’s next meeting will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 4, in the meeting room at the Montgomery County Health and Civic Center.
Information will also be posted on a website under development.
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