Delving into the nasty grip of heroin

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When the idea arose from my editor awhile back that he would like to do a series on heroin, by far the nastiest drug we face today, I knew that these type of stories would take a bit of searching. Finding people who are willing to talk about something that impacts way too many people in society makes me wonder.

Acceptance is hard. Thinking that people who use heroin should fall to their fate is something that should be placed in the past. Today there are answers for people who use heroin, ways to overcome an incredible obstacle. And yet we don’t try and guide them to help often enough. There are great options that can be used such as rehabs, monthly dependence groups, or even church groups. Don’t worry if you are non-religious. Try a place like Families of Addicts (FOA) out at Bible Baptist Church. They can be found at 4361 State Route 41, just up the road from the Miami Trace campus. If you are a current user who is seeking help or even a recovering addict looking for someone to talk to, I can promise you they will treat you right no matter your denomination. Using can be overcome and the fight does not have to be alone.

Another piece of information that I found during my interviews was that in many cases opioid addiction stems from pain medication abuse. The people I spoke to all had run-ins with the stuff and it led to them going to heroin when they could no longer get the prescription they had. It startles me that so much of the addiction comes from this pain medication. Perhaps if we can think of better ways to manage pain, we could help to fight the problem. There are cases in which the medication is warranted, but solely depending on their use for pain relief feels like part of the problem.

I also want to say that the local efforts toward ending the epidemic can always use help, but we have people who are seriously trying. Recovery centers within Fayette County have been commended throughout my interviews. I feel if people worked toward creating more options such as these, then we can use the bad problem we have in the county to gain an insight and understanding on how to help everyone. The Fayette Men’s Recovery is a great addition, but the problem requires more and I am confident we will combat this.

Thank you to those who were the subjects in my articles, they are very brave people. Additionally, there were others I thank for the information they provided that led to the many leads and other concepts as I worked further into the series. I had others who would ditch me and flatly refuse. It is a touchy subject, but if it wasn’t then it wouldn’t be important.

Too often we push what is actually important aside because it is uncomfortable to talk about. It causes judgment and silence, even though it is a threat to every family. Again I thank these people for their bravery and sure hope the articles pay credit to them and their long walk on recovery road.

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By Martin Graham

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Reach Martin Graham at (740) 313-0351 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy

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