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Meridian's Addiction Summit Sets Action Plan
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Law Enforcement and Addiction Summit brought together entities most involved in problems posed to the community by addition and crime. Sponsored by Meridian Community Care and the Boardman Police Department, the summit was held yesterday at the Boardman Township Government Building.
Addiction to drugs and alcohol causes great hardship and distress to individuals, families and the community, said Larry Moliterno, CEO of Meridian Community Care and a summit participant. Law enforcement officials are also keenly aware of the connection between drug addiction and serious crime.
The summit explored collaborative approaches to the addiction problem that might be taken by treatment providers, law enforcement and government. In addition to Moliterno, participants included Jack Nichols, chief of police, Boardman Township; Ohio Attorney Gen. Mike DeWine; state Sens. Capri Cafaro and Joe Schiavoni; and other law enforcement officials and treatment provideers.
The summit was a working session, with ideas being solicited from all participants, who looked into not only collaboration but any barriers to that collaboration that might exist, according to Moliterno. “Drug addiction affects all aspects of society," he said. "We feel it is very important to involve many different groups of people to get input on how we can work together to deal with these problems.”
The resulting "action step summary is divided into three sections: Trends in addiction, barriers to working together and opportunities to work together. Some of the discussion points include:
- Heroin in the suburbs is coming in from the cities.
- K8/Spice is sold at local stores.
- Doctors are writing prescriptions but not educating.
- A younger population of opiate addicts is seen in emergency rooms, psych units, and detox facilities.
- Law enforcement doesnʼt see improvement.
- More education is needed, and there is a lack of resources.
- County-based funding restrictions exist.
- There is a lack of knowledge of the background of offenders.
- Law enforcement sees only treatment failures, not successes.
- There is a lack of funding options for those needing treatment.
- Prosecutors and judges should be more involved through greater awareness/summits, and offices and courts should be integrated.
- Communities (especially parents) need to be more involved.
- Since addition knows no county lines, counties should be banded together.
- More follow-up with arresting officers is needed.
- Officers should get feedback on how offenders are doing.
The ongoing goal will be to seek solutions to the challenges addiction poses -- to law enforcement, to the well-being of area families, and to society as a whole. This is the first in a series of events that are planned to address this issue, Moliterno said.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.