From the Harford County Sheriff’s Office:
Sheriff Gahler is pleased to announce the HOPE for Harford workgroup is hosting a Town Hall meeting to discuss the devastating impact heroin has on our communities and the ones we love. All are invited to attend this meeting, hosted in partnership with Harford County Executive Barry Glassman.
The September 9th Town Hall meeting will take place on the campus of Harford Community College with doors to Darlington Hall opening at 6:00 pm, and the event starting at 6:30 pm. The HOPE workgroup has dedicated this Town Hall meeting to highlight Awareness, Education, and most importantly, to hear from the citizens of Harford County.
“I formed the HOPE workgroup early this year to understand the heroin problem in our community, and find new and inventive ways of stamping out heroin addiction. I am inspired by the progress the workgroup has made and applaud their dedication to this cause.” Sheriff Gahler continued, “The work can be exhausting, but they continue to push forward for the betterment of all citizens.”
Sheriff Gahler and County Executive Glassman will open the evening by providing an overview of the status of the epidemic and the work county agencies are undertaking to eradicate heroin from our communities. Next on the agenda, Joe Ryan, Director of the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy, will provide an in depth look at heroin addiction.
Following Mr. Ryan’s presentation, we invite members of the community to speak freely about how heroin has impacted their lives and families. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the participants and audience. Those wishing to speak should register with Erik Robey, Director of Legislative and Community Affairs for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, at robeye@harfordsheriff.org or by calling 443-567-7100.
The evening will conclude with a Q&A session to the panel of experts gathered together for the Town Hall Meeting. At this time, confirmed panel members are Harford County Sheriff Gahler; Harford County Executive Glassman; Beth Jones, Health Department; Captain Lee Dunbar, Harford County Task Force, Joe Ryan, Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy; and Barbara Canavan, Harford County Superintendent of Schools. Treatment providers and county agencies will be on hand with informative materials available for residents who wish to understand more about the services provided in the community.
“Many of us have known the private heartbreak brought on by heroin,” said County Executive Glassman. “As a community, it’s important that we come together to understand the problem and our efforts so far to address it. We know that there is no single solution, but by combining forces, we can better protect our children and our families from this terrible scourge.”
If you are unable to attend, but would like to hear these powerful messages, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office will live stream the event on Twitter, @Harford_Sheriff and post a recording of the meeting at www.harfordsheriff.org. Feel free to tweet us your questions for the panel beginning at 8:00 pm.
Hey Soulman, you going to attend? We all know you’re an expert on everything to do with drugs and police? We would love to hear your input on the heroin issue.
The only thing you can do is educate the young on its effects. Those already addicted to heroin are either lost or will seek help themselves. There isn’t any vice you can force someone to leave alone, they have to want to leave it alone. At least 50% of heroin addicts will never get off of it. They will destroy their lives and those around them and will eventually die from its use. It’s sad, but true. – http://luxury.rehabs.com/heroin-addiction/death-mortality-rates/ – As for me attending, well, its a known fact I don’t step foot into your county. I have no desire or reason to go anywhere that the local criminal justice system’s main tool against crime is to lie and deprive individuals of their rights under color of law.
The Harford County Heroin Task Force met many times but couldn’t get the medical authorities to accept some promising treatment modalities. Many of the members were parents who had already buried their children and tried to establish meeting places for the youth where there was nothing that grabbed their attention like the drugs. It was the youth themselves who were traveling to Baltimore to bring back the stuff to sell and share with their classmates.
County and state officials were interested in helping, but couldn’t support trying a new approach proposed by a former addict. She was treated by a doctor out of state who put her under sedation and detoxed her blood as it is done for poisoning victims. Never personally dealt with addiction to anything myself, but even I understand how it may help an addict to avoid cold turkey. The other phase of her treatment involved a drug that would make her ill if she used again, and continuing therapy, like AA has for alcoholics, as well as finding employment and supporting herself. She was trying to reconcile with her family, but having difficulty conversing.
When parents are blind to their child coming home stoned, they are enabling if they don’t bring up the subject. Now there are at-home testing kits that will tell if a person has been exposed. It takes courage and persistence to bring a kid to realize that their adjustment to what is frustrating them isn’t helping, and when you hide behind a façade of respectability while family continue abusing their mind and body with medication or street drugs, the problem spreads, like a cancer.
If you think no one was selling Heroin in HarCo you are gravely mistaken. J. Banes said the same thing years ago & he was wrong as well. No I don’t know this because I’m an addict or a druggie I know this because I saw it at my job every day.