Judging from the size of the audience at the St. Mary’s County Drug Summit of Parents and by the reaction to the presentations, the community is taking seriously the threat to it from opioids. The event took place Friday evening at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Hall, which was packed with attendees. The summit’s message was brought home dramatically with presentations from several parents who have lost children to drug overdoses.
St. Mary’s County Department of Aging and Community Services Director Lori Jennings-Harris kicked off the summit with a statement that got most of the audience nodding their heads in agreement: “Everybody knows somebody who is affected by the problems we are going to address today.”
Sheriff Tim Cameron explained that the crackdown in prescription drug abuse has led to an increase in heroin usage and heroin overdoses and deaths. He said heroin is no longer the new threat; it is “the NOW threat.”
While the statistics stated by the sheriff are alarming, it is the individual cases of young peoples’ lives cut way too short and the devastating effects on their families that really bring home the issue. Terri Haffer courageously took the stage to stand beside Walden-Sierra Executive Director Dr. Kathy O’Brien to tearfully tell the story of her son Robert Haffer, Jr., who lost his life to a heroin overdose on September 16th of last year. She was given a thunderous round of applause for her courage.
Those statistics from Sheriff Cameron show a decline from seven lethal prescription overdoses in 2011 to one in 2013, while at the same time showed an increase from none to five heroin overdose deaths. “It’s stronger, it’s cheaper and it’s available,” Cameron said.
The sheriff’s department is part of the Opioid Prevention Workgroup formed by the Department of Aging and Community Services. Other members include the St. Mary’s County Health Department, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, Walden Sierra, the detention center and local pharmacies.
Cameron said his department has taken a number of initiatives to combat prescription drug abuse, including an alliance with the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, which had representatives at the meeting. They also are collaborating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. And, they have a 24/7 prescription drug collection box at the sheriff’s office in Leonardtown.
“The partners here are committed to prevention through education,” Cameron said, adding that the parents in the audience play a key role. He called parents “the anti-drug.”
Dr. O’Brien explained that opiates are painkillers. P
