From Harford County government:
The administration of County Executive Barry Glassman has been recognized by NACo, the National Association of Counties, for Harford County’s extensive efforts to reduce heroin use and overdose. This is the Glassman administration’s second NACo Achievement Award for 2016 after winning in the Planning category for Track-it: The Planning & Zoning Activity Tracker.
Heroin abuse is a national epidemic and a major public health problem; the drug’s impact in Harford County is both alarming and widespread. In 2015, the county had 201 opiate overdoses, 44 of which were fatal. In 2014, the number of local babies born drug exposed rose by 45%; and a 2013 survey found that children as young as 11 were experimenting with heroin. Despite false perceptions, Harford County’s heroin overdose victims are predominately white males in their 20s and 30s. Many of these addictions began after injury or surgery when prescription painkillers ran out and heroin was used as a low cost substitute. Lastly, more than half of overdoses have occurred in the county’s affluent suburbs, and abuse is on the rise in rural communities.
In response, the Glassman administration began its fiscal year 2016 “Initiative to Reduce Heroin Use and Overdose” with three basic goals: to significantly increase awareness about heroin use and overdose; to overcome geographic and demographic stereotypes, and to develop partnerships among key stakeholders including the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Harford County Public Schools, the Harford County Health Department, the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, and treatment providers.
Start the Conversation: Increase Awareness and Overcome False Perceptions
The Glassman administration’s Office of Drug Control Policy, along with community partners, undertook a variety of efforts to alert students, their parents, and others about heroin’s local impact.
A speaking tour of Harford County middle schools reached more than 2,500 parents with the message that heroin is cheap, available in many forms, and being introduced to middle school youth in every zip code. A locally produced play entitled “Addicted” demonstrated in stark terms the impact of drug and alcohol abuse and was seen by more than 1,800 students and other citizens. In all, over 266 presentations and trainings were provided reaching over 28,000 individuals including health teachers and nurses, bus drivers, faith-based organizations, and businesses.
Drug take-back events were held to encourage the safe disposal of unwanted prescription medications, with over 8,000 pounds of medications collected. In addition, 1,000 “Ready for Help” cards with resource information were distributed to overdose victims; and an annual drug symposium drew 278 citizens and professionals in the field of drug prevention and treatment.
A highly visible awareness campaign was launched countywide with billboards, bus advertising and public service announcements that intentionally excluded visual scare tactics, which have proven ineffective. Instead, the campaign featured a clean-cut 11-year-old boy with the message: “Harford County kids are trying drugs at age 11. Talk to your kids before heroin does.” The campaign included videos, a powerful Father’s Day radio spot, and attracted additional TV and print media coverage. Altogether, the campaign’s reach exceeded 4.3 million impressions.
Filling the Treatment Gaps
Tracking of overdose victims in Harford County revealed that many had received treatment but later relapsed. To fill gaps in the post recovery system, the Glassman administration and partnering organizations launched a series of initiatives.
Through its Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP), the administration funded a peer recovery coach coordinator position for the nonprofit Addiction Connections Resource, and funded training for 14 peer recovery coaches connecting individuals post-treatment with services and employment opportunities. ODCP is also working with the Harford County Bar Foundation to help individuals in recovery address issues involving child custody and record expungement, and with Susquehanna Workforce Network to provide employment and resume assistance. A “Second Chance Job Fair” is planned for later this year. Project Healthy Delivery was developed with the medical center, treatment provider Ashley Addiction Treatment, and the nonprofit Birthrite to create a one-stop-shop for pregnant women suffering from addiction. Wrap-around services include intensive outpatient treatment, prenatal service, transportation assistance; help with insurance, parenting, health and wellbeing programs, and incentives to remain in the program.
Funding for these efforts by the Glassman administration totaled $100,000 in fiscal year 2016, representing the first county funding for treatment in Harford County history.
“I would like to thank NACo for recognizing our efforts, and my Director of Community Services Amber Shrodes, ODCP Manager Joe Ryan, and their team for their outstanding work,” said County Executive Barry Glassman. “Together with our community partners, we are fighting this scourge with treatment and support to free those who are in heroin’s deadly grasp. We are also shining a spotlight in every zip code because we are committed to prevention and raising awareness especially among our youth. Heroin tries to hide in the shadows, but we will not let that happen in Harford County.”
Affluent suburbs… lmao!!!
Harford County is the 48th wealthiest out of about 3000 counties in the US.
I didn’t see anything about harsher prison terms for selling, distribution and transporting Heroin. Treatment is important as well as education, but until Heroin County attempts to cut the head off and stop the revolving court house doors and put these thugs in jail with long prison terms you can educate and offer treatment all you want.
But, jails are expensive.
…and prohibition never works — that much we know.
“Many of these addictions began after injury or surgery when prescription painkillers ran out and heroin was used as a low cost substitute”. – You may be on to something. But, how do you wrangle those who create the original introduction to the drugs when they are legally licensed to introduce those drugs to the public in the first place? The doctors are the “drug dealers” you should be worried about. They have been introducing medicines to the public as the “drug dealers” for big pharma for decades. Many of these medicines, even ones that are not related to this topic, have later been shown to cause all types of cancers, diseases and health problems as they continue to experiment using the public as “guinea pigs”. Over prescribing is the root of most of this issue at hand. Whether it was too many or too strong of doses in the original prescription, it was over prescribing as it resulted in addiction…..
It’s ok for a doctor to prescribe Oxycontin to an 11 year old but give them CBD oil and parents go to jail.
The system is broke.
The system is retarded…..
Dear Mr. Sour Crusher,
While I normally find your posts entertaining, somewhat educational I was recently appalled by your recent post. Your use of the antiquated terminology in the word “retarded” is extremely dis respectful to thousands of citizens who have dealt with a variety of intellectual disabilities. Please consider in future posts different and less hateful terminology when describing the failures and disappointments of others and the system.
Well Bob, since “retarded” is in the dictionary and one of it’s meanings is “very foolish or stupid”, I’ll stick to my terminology and use of the English language. I’m sorry your offended, but quite frankly your efforts of being politically correct on this issue are unreasonable as its use was not directed to any one person or any one afflicted with a health issue. I see this as you trying to make an issue out of nothing. As always, you have a nice day.
RETARD.
Find it offensive? Read it.
Not trying to engage you but just because a word is In the dictionary doesn’t make it in many case ok to use. The “N” word is in the dictionary. Do you think it is appropriate to use?
Actually, I do think you are trying to engage me. The word is appropriately used in this case as it expresses a disdain for an incompetent system. The problem with all of this political correctness is you guys seem to think that the whole world should act like a gaping vagina. You know, a Pu$$y. In a world where police are allowed to murder you for simply not following directions, in a totally unthreatening manner, I think you guys can stand my use of the word “retarded”. Your comparison of the word “Retarded” to the “N” word is completely unreasonable. The “N” word is a racially inflammatory slur used only in an inflammatory manner. Get over it. The system is “retarded”……
Whether intentional or not it seems you are trying to convey that all cops are killers and that all persons killed by police were innocent victims. You appear to have the same mentality as the BLM movement. Do you think that BLM should be considered domestic terrorists? Can you explain how BLM is bridging a racially divided country? With the amount of black on black violence do you really feel that the BLM should be taken seriously? You post a lot of incomplete data in your blatant attack on Cops. Are you advocating the removal of all police from society? Do you think Michael Brown was innocent? Do you feel the world was a better place because of Michael Brown and his many contributions to society? Do you think Officer Wilson is a murderer? Can you please answer some of these question to help me understand you better?
I’m not going to play 20 questions with you. Some cops are good, some are bad. Some kill in the line of duty, some murder without just cause. Police need to use lethal force as a last resort, not shoot first and ask questions later. I don’t agree with the Black Lives Matter movement because I believe the police are killing more whites than blacks. Any way you look at it, we’re not being told the truth about the correct number of fatalities caused by police. I believe that police have become “Domestic Terrorists” in the supposed war on drugs against the people of this country. I believe that the Courts, Prosecutors and Law Enforcement are acting in concert to break established federal and state laws enforcing their supposed war on drugs leading to acts that are dangerous to the lives of the citizens of this country and that this has caused an anti-police sentiment. This sentiment has migrated into what we now know as the Black Lives Matter movement in black communities and is the direct result of the Domestic Terrorism I refer to. I have nothing more to say on this issue right now…..
SoulCrusher, as a confessed drug addict, your opinions of law enforcement are about as valuable as those of the BLM movement… a movement which, as far as I can tell, is fighting for the right to flee and resist arrest without any repercussions.
Just out of curiosity, what drug or drugs am I addicted to?
“In a world where police are allowed to murder you for not simply following directions” Wow! Pretty strong words. Have there been some recent isolated incidents regarding some people that are unfit to wear a badge? Absolutely but I maintain these situations are very very rare. Talk about generalizing. I see on the news every day that certain members of certain races are committing countless murders and other crimes. If I were to make a general statement equivalent to yours you would and should label me as an ignorant biased person. Let’s keep our postings fair and not make silly arguments. I know you have got better game than that.
Obviously you didn’t see the therapist shot by the police in Florida. He didn’t die, but its all the same. Time and time again the police are murdering people of ALL different races and the courts uphold the murders as lawful. Its not just the police, its the prosecutors leading the jury away from indictment and the judges backing them up all the way. I call it “Domestic Terrorism” and its the norm in the system nowadays. The entirety of the government is broken beyond repair. Nothing can fix it….
Tens of thousands of police citizen interaction every day. Some are very volatile. As I mentioned earlier, on rare occasions cops that should not be cops surface and act inappropriately. I still maintain that you are very incorrect in your assessment of the situation. Show me your sources to backup your statements. In your prior posts you have been critical of people being overly influenced by the media. You have been particularly critical of Fox News .That is exactly what you are doing attempting to incite hysteria. You and I both know that the incidents which you base your statements on are anomalies and in no way represent the norm. Every once in a while your subliminal disdain for the police surfaces. Most of the readers know why so we can dispense with revisiting the poor me theme.
The police acting as “domestic terrorists” did not begin with me. In 1992, Congress enacted provisions under 18 U.S. Code § 2331, to not allow law suits to be brought forth suing the Government for acts of domestic terrorism inflicted on the public. Our own government has known all this time that Law Enforcement was acting as domestic terrorists, against the people, involving the so called war on drugs. Since this war on drugs was targeted toward minority communities, it has transcended into what we now see as the Black Lives Matter movement. You say I am trying to incite hysteria, however, I’m just stating the truth. Law Enforcement, now being in its own state of fear, is now starting to fear the public, as they should. In my estimation, more than 50,000 people have been killed by the police since these provisions under 18 U.S. Code § 2331 began. That’s more than double the number of deaths suffered by police in all of America since 1791, when death statistics started to be recorded. You guys have more than doubled the number of 22,554 deaths suffered by police since 1791, compared to the 50,000 citizen lives lost, since 1992. Most of these citizen lives lost have been due to the supposed war on drugs. You don’t see the problem here. Congratulations, you’re an idiot.
Quote. ” in my estimate…….” I keep forgetting that you are the all omniscient all knowing authority on every topic. You Sir are a hoot. Thanks for making my work day go by quicker.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/another-much-higher-count-of-police-homicides/ – The Killed By Police facebook page estimates 1100 per year by their actual reporting. If you think a facebook page gets every reporting of death in their tally, your not being honest with yourself. Its probably about 2100 per year. The FBI say its 400 per year and we know that’s a lie. Even a 1100 per year, multiplied by 24 years since 1992, you still get 26,400 deaths. That’s more than Law Enforcement has suffered since 1791. However, if my more realistic tally of 2100 per year is used, you get 50,400 deaths caused by police. That’s the method to my madness. Sorry, to disappoint….
2000 people a year are killed by the weather. Its probably about 2500 a year. Either way it is more than the police kill.
Good weather matters!
Good Point. The weather doesn’t decide on killing tho, the weather just is.
Jails are only expensive when you fully fund them. The county doesn’t and hasn’t for years. Glad the gets all the glory but doesn’t support those who actually work in dealing with heroin addicts. Namely the deputy s and the other county workers.
All about number one and who cares about those that are trampled in the process.
Tent city would be awesome, free up funds for LEOs. Bring back the chain gang.
Parents should be suing the school system for allowing this drug addiction to start with gateway drugs that are being used in schools and no consequences being issued because of fear of bad publicity. Kids are coming to school stoned but everyone is afraid of accusing students so a blind eye is always turned, if we don’t see it, it didn’t happen. Also there needs to be consequences in general, put these druggies in prison and let them sober up there for a few years.
I have a question for you. How do you know these kids are coming to school stoned?
The county won an “achievement” award not by proving they’ve been successful in curbing heroin usage but by implementing a plan… which may or may not be successful or to put it another way, “achieve” anything.“ Gotta love government. I’m also curious… if my prescription pain killer runs out and I go back to my doctor and say “I’m gonna start heroin since my meds are out” I don’t think he’s gonna say “enjoy your addiction and resulting death spiral!” As for surveys… I remember getting one in school and we checked every box. We said we’d experimented with everything. We would have admitted to mainlining cat pee. Who knows what they used from those forms. Hey, we were stupid kids, what can I say.