SALISBURY — The ongoing war against the growing heroin and opioid addiction and overdose epidemic got another weapon in the arsenal this week as Wicomico County launched its “Don’t Tag Along” campaign.
As the death toll from drug overdoses continues to climb in Wicomico, the county health department and its allied partners this week launched a new campaign to educate residents about the dangers of heroin and opioid abuse.
The “Don’t Tag Along” was launched during the 15th Annual Underage Substance Abuse Award Luncheon in Salisbury on Wednesday. Through a combined media campaign that will include billboards, radio, television and print ads, the Wicomico County Health Department is using state and federal grants to try to stem the heroin and opioid epidemic and the associated body count.
“Saving people’s lives is our ultimate goal,” said Wicomico County Health Officer Lori Brewster. “Heroin and opioid abuse affects our entire community, from poverty and crime to homelessness and health issues. We need a multi-prong approach to this issue, but it all starts with education and awareness.”
The number of deaths associated with drug overdose in Wicomico County has climbed dramatically in recent years. In 2014, for example, there were 20 deaths in the county associated with drug overdoses, up from just nine a few years prior. That figure outpaces the number of homicides during the same period, according to health department statistics.
The Wicomico County Health Department is sixth in the state in terms of heroin addiction treatment at its facilities. The county has one of only two methadone treatment clinics on the Eastern Shore and four years ago, the facility had 25 patients accessing the treatment program. Today, there are roughly 270 patients utilizing the county’s methadone treatment program.
County Executive Bob Culver said the epidemic knows no traditional socio-economic barriers.
“The profile of today’s heroin and opioid user is no longer the addict on the corner,” he said this week. “All levels of society have been impacted. This epidemic demands public and private commitments, resources and education. Heroin is cheap and accessible. Rashes of crimes burden law enforcement, health and social services and family resources. Wicomico County joins our community to combat this horrific epidemic that has invaded our homes, schools and communities.”
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis agreed the epidemic needed a multi-pronged approach from all sources.
“The opioid and heroin issues facing American families are of epidemic proportions and, unfortunately, no one is immune from its devastating consequences,” he said. “However, through the partnerships of committed law enforcement and healthcare officials here in Wicomico County, we are reclaiming lost lives one day at a time.”
Brewster explained many addicts may get started with a prescription for pain after an injury. It doesn’t take long for abuse of those drugs to occur and then patients scramble to find pills to take away the pain. When doctors no longer write prescriptions, patients start turning to illegal drugs like heroin.
“The real tragedy with heroin is how it takes complete control of a person’s life,” said Brewster. “People are driven to commit crimes to fund their drug habit. It destroys families and it destroys lives, but treatment is available and addicts need to reach out for help. You cannot kick heroin abuse simply by wishing it away.”