Heroin + Opioid Awareness Meeting Set
The following is an article written by Republic-Monitor writer, Heather Cook.
Increased drug use in Perry County and the limited resources to combat the problem have created a growing concern among local residents.
In an effort to answer the questions about drug use in Perryville and Perry County, the Perryville Police Department will host an informative meeting on heroin opioid addiction on Wednesday night.
The meeting will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. in the training room at the south end of the Perryville Police Department building.
The meeting will be led by Jeri Cain, public information and public education officer at the Police Department and co-chair of the Coalition for Heroin and Opioid Prevention (C.H.O.P.), and Cindy Blacklidge, chair of C.H.O.P. and Perry County Mental Health Liaison for the Perry County Memorial Hospital.
“We’ve seen an increase in substance use and there’s been a growing concern in the community that we want to address,” said Blacklidge. “In Perry County, there have been at least 16 reported overdoses and five deaths due to heroin use in the past year.”
In a county that has a population of only 19,000, these numbers are striking, Blacklidge said.
Blacklidge reported that, nationwide, 13,000 people died from heroin overdose in 2015.
“Heroin is a highly addictive opioid drug that is extracted from a poppy plant,” said Blacklidge. “Because opioids are often used as prescription painkillers after surgery, the danger of addiction is very prevalent. About three out of four individuals who use heroin report having abused prescription opioids before using heroin.”
Symptoms of heroin use include “euphoria, drowsiness, impaired mental functioning, slowed respiration, and constricted pupils”.
At the Wednesday meeting, attendees will be shown a short educational video and will be provided with updated information on current strategies to combat the heroin opioid crisis in the community. Cain will provide statistical information, and Blacklidge will guide parents on how to talk to kids about substance abuse. Medication disposable bags will be available to community members.
“The information I’m giving and the video I’m showing — it’s a very serious topic,” said Cain. “I would caution parents bringing young children, but teenagers and high schoolers — by all means, we welcome them. There’s nothing graphic in the video that we’re going to be showing, but the amount of information that’s going to be presented isn’t going to be geared toward younger children.”
Members of C.H.O.P. will be present at the meeting to answer questions and provide information on local resources.
Community members are invited to this open forum to voice their concerns on the subject and ask questions of their own.
“My hope is that through community involvement and advocacy I can help to educate community members on opioid and heroin use,” said Blacklidge. “This is going to require a multi-faceted approach. Prevention through education is where we need to start.”
Cain invites those who cannot attend the meeting on Wednesday to contact her at the Police Department, (573) 547-4546.
Local resources for substance and addiction recovery include Alcoholics Anonymous, (573) 513-7018; Celebrate Recovery, (573) 547-4644; Gibson Recovery Center, (573) 547-1121; Narcotics Anonymous, (573) 513-7018; New Life Mission Inn, (573) 513-2918; and the Perry County Community Task Force (youth), (573) 547-1292.