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Early education answer to drug addiction prevention in the Valley, judges say
YOUNGSTOWN
Education is the answer to the heroin- addiction epidemic, and it must begin with children at a very young age, said Mahoning County Juvenile Court Judge Theresa Dellick.
Children are experimenting with alcohol and marijuana in middle school. They are self-medicating to escape their reality of not fitting in or being bullied, said the judge, speaking Tuesday at the Public Square sponsored by The Buckeye Review and Mount Gilead Baptist Church, where the event took place.
The disease of alcohol and drug addiction doesn’t just afflict the poor, she said.
“It can reach anyone, anywhere, at any moment. Drugs don’t discriminate,” Judge Dellick said.
Also on the program, billed as “Heroin and Our Children,” was Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge John Durkin, creator of the Mahoning County Drug Court.
“We’ve all heard of the heroin epidemic, and it truly is. Who can’t identify someone in their family, a friend, a neighbor, who is affected?” Judge Durkin asked.
It’s critical to understand that addiction is a disease. It’s just like diabetes and cancer. It can be treated, he said.
“The extension of Medicaid has helped tremendously getting people into treatment, and we are blessed with a wealth of treatment programs available in Mahoning County. But there is still a waiting list for treatment,” Judge Durkin said.
The best answer is prevention, and that must start with education, he said.
But, he said: “If we wait until kids are in high school to talk to them about the dangers of addiction, it’s too late.”
Ohio is in the top five states in the United States in heroin overdose deaths, said Dr. M. Mike McNair, publisher of The Buckeye Review and moderator of the event.
“We are all hurting as a result of this,” said McNair, who noted that the Public Square is to provide a venue where the perspective of the black community is heard.
When a person is addicted, they are not by themselves, McNair said, pointing out that it includes their spouse, their kids and their extended family and friends.
The agenda of Public Square is empowerment of the children and families of the Mahoning Valley in general and black children and families in particular, according to The Buckeye Review.
The face of drug addiction has changed over the past few years.
Previously, Judge Durkin said, the average age of addicted felons in his court was 35, and 90 percent used cocaine or crack. Now, the average age is 23, and 90 percent are addicted to opiates.
He also noted that 70 percent of felons in the drug court are white and 30 percent are black.
“We’re looking into the disparity,” he said.
The way drug education is presented has to be changed. Fear does not work, said Judge Dellick.
“As a society, we have to be cognizant that we can’t just pop pills. We can’t depend on quick fixes,” she said.
“The War on Drugs was a miserable failure. If there is a gap, it is in giving kids positive, healthy alternatives,” said Judge Durkin.
“If we leave this message at the door, we will have wasted our time here,” he added.