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Meeting addresses drug issues
A local drug and alcohol coalition would be eligible for federal funding.
COLUMBIANA — Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron said the county’s alcohol and drug problem “is a quality-of-life issue” that is leading to a decline in local neighborhoods.
Herron spoke Friday at a meeting at the Dutch Haus attended by about 50 health workers, law enforcement personnel and elected officials.
Herron, who has estimated that 80 percent of all crimes are tied to chemical abuse, recalled a fatal car crash caused by a heroin addict and another crash caused by a drunken driver.
At a third crash that also involved chemical abuse, Herron watched a father cradle his infant girl, and the father wondered if he was going to lose her. “Tragedy abounds,” the prosecutor said.
Abusers, he said, “are shooting into cars, shooting into homes, and shooting into each other.”
Three men in Salem recently were caught by authorities, each carrying a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol. Herron said they explained that other groups were carrying guns so they were carrying guns.
Kristen Gish, project director for the state-funded Drug-Free Action Alliance in Columbus, said there are between 20 and 23 Ohio communities that have federally funded drug-free coalitions, and those are supported by the Drug-Free Community Support Program, which is out of the federal Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. Trumbull does have a drug-free community support program called Community Solutions. Mahoning does not have a program, Gish said.
She described the support program, which has to be made to fit a specific community, to the audience.
She said people should ask, “What are your community beliefs?” and “Is it healthy we believe this?”
Under the program, local residents can come up with a description of the community. Then, the alliance could create programs that, over time, would change what she called, “community systems.”
Those systems could include heavy drinking as a norm.
Changes would take time, but Gish pointed out that 40 years ago, smoking indoors in offices and restaurants was normal. Now, smoking is banned or relegated to the outdoors.
Gish said any county plan should be “framed as a public health issue,” adding, “It’s a community change program.”
The program also could have different strategies to deal with different sections of the community.
A local program could also impact societal norms.
Gish said, “Kids think that all their friends are using drugs and alcohol, and that’s not correct.”
Training is available for those who would serve on the program’s board. In terms of board membership, Gish said that the person with the most influence in the community is likely to be a parent.
If a board is formed, it quickly will become apparent whether it will deal with the local issues or be ineffective, she added.
Kathleen Chaffee, the associate director of the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, said responses by those attending the drug forum will determine if there is interest in creating a drug and alcohol prevention coalition.
wilkinson@vindy.com