To the editor:

As many people are aware, or at least should be, we are experiencing one of the worse drug epidemics that we have seen in a very long time. Heroin, a deadly derivative of opium, is killing our young people, ruining lives and has become a blight that affects those regardless of race, economic and social position or sex, and is costing society countless lives and billions of dollars.

This deadly drug is being combined with a narcotic which is used in hospitals as a sedation that patients are given prior to procedures, and is monitored closely in a very controlled setting due to its effects on one’s breathing. The drug is named Fentanyl and when cut with heroin it can be a deadly cocktail that can have devastating effects on the user, causing brain damage and in many instances death.

We have found that this problem has to be approached from a number of ways. No one solution exists. Law enforcement, mental health professionals, drug interdiction specialists and organizations like OASIS can all play a part in how we manage this terrible scourge on our society; politicians and community leaders have to play a role also. And parents can leave no stone unturned when it comes to being able to recognize when their child may be at risk and be should able to seek help early on.

It is also important to make sure that support services are properly funded by both public and private agencies, including insurance companies, and treatment lasts long enough to allow for those addicted to really allowing them to address their habit and be given the tools to make sure they stay off the drug for the rest of their lives.

Obviously education and a well-informed public are key to solving this massive problem facing our communities. That is why I am asking all that are concerned with this issue and are serious about finding real solutions, to attend an upcoming forum at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at Cazenovia High School. It is being put on by a group called HEAL Madison and is comprised of a number of people who have firsthand knowledge and experience with addiction. Even if you walk away with just one little tidbit of information that may help someone kick this horrible addiction and possibly save the life of a loved one, it will worth the few hours you spend with us. Come listen, come learn, come heal.

John Salka

Supervisor, Town of Brookfield

Member, HEAL Madison