Pubdate: Fri, 28 Jun 2013
Source: Herald Argus, The (LaPorte, IN)
Copyright: 2005 The Herald Argus
Contact: http://www.heraldargus.com/forms/letters/
Website: http://www.heraldargus.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3916
Author: Gabrielle Gonzalez

SHUTTING OFF THE SOURCE

La PORTE - Officials say it is up to the community as a whole to
combat substance abuse in the area, starting with the most prevalent
drug of choice - heroin.

Following the recent arrests of citizens caught dealing or using
heroin and the deaths of young adults following overdoses of the drug,
grieving families have organized a walk for heroin awareness.

La Porte resident Chris Day and his family were recently directly
affected when Ethan Day was found dead in his home with his girlfriend
on June 4. Ethan's toxicology report stated his death was a result of
heroin, benzodiazepines and alcohol in his system.

After his son's death, Chris Day decided to promote heroin awareness
by holding a free walk, which will be held at 5:15 p.m. today for law
enforcement and others who have been impacted by the drug problem in
the community. The walk will begin at the YMCA, where participants
will travel together down Michigan Avenue to Beechwood Golf Course and
back. This walk is in coordination with the La Porte Fitness Friday
walk/run that takes place each week.

"The benefit of this walk is to show appreciation to our local law
enforcement in their fight against this epidemic," said Chris Day.
"Also to raise awareness about heroin and its users so that parents
and loved ones can be more informed about the realities of this
horrible drug addiction."

He said that since the loss of his 20-year-old son, he and his
family's have realized how big the problem is and how many families
are currently struggling with and have lost loved ones.

"This tragedy has affected our household tremendously," said Day. "Not
a single person can ever prepare themselves for the loss of a loved
one, especially a child. The stages of grief are amongst us. It has
truly been an emotional roller coaster."

"I think this walk is a great idea," said Mayor Blair Milo. "I commend
Chris Day for his courage and his willingness to organize this and
bring the issue forward."

Milo will be co-leading the Fitness Friday Walk/ Heroin Awareness
Walk. She said information given to her by first responders,
particularly from the fire departments in the area, have told her the
numbers of overdoses are declining. She said this walk will support
the preventative effort by making a healthy choice to participate in
an event where people come together and get exercise.

"I think behavior issues like substance abuse are not something we can
change by a policy," she said. "That is why we do everything we can to
provide healthy choices. Because it is always going to be the choice
of the individual."

Milo also attended the "More Hope Less Dope" drug discussion on
Thursday night at Portofino's Grill.

That event focused on the signs and prevention methods that teens,
families and community members can use. The night also included
speakers who were former addicts, and provided ways for people to
receive help through local organizations.

Worthy Women Recovery Home Executive Director Sonshine Troche was one
of the speakers at the event who has also helped Chris Day coordinate
the walk.

"Substance abuse is a people problem," she said. "It is not just an
addicts problem or the law enforcement, it is everyone's problem and
we all need to get involved and do something about it instead of just
talking about it. I think the community is starting to step up."

She said parents of teenagers need to reach out and listen to their
children. She said knowing many former addicts, the ones that recover
are truly grateful for the help.

"None of them wake up to say 'I want to be a drug addict,'" said
Troche. "This is why we need to talk about this and try to get people
help."

Chris Day said his family knew Ethan had problems but not to the
extent of drug abuse involving hard substances. He said they thought
they were doing everything they could to help him.

"We never saw our son 'messed up,' and we know now that he was very
good at hiding his addiction and also very good at telling his family
what they wanted to hear. We were naive and we wanted to believe him,"
said Day.

La Porte County Coroner John Sullivan said a lot of parents tell him
after their child has overdosed that he or she was a good kid until
they got mixed up in a rough crowd. He said once they hang out with
the bad kids it becomes hard for the straight "A" kid to pay attention
in school and continue to do good. He said it is even harder for the
kid to come back from a heavy addiction.

"After the initial dose of heroin, you develop a dependence," said
Sullivan. "You lose touch with reality and are in an altered state of
mind."

Sullivan said the instant someone takes a dose, their brain ceases to
breathe and they stop breathing. Mixing the drug with other substances
is even more risky, such as drinking alcohol simultaneously which
suppresses the respiratory drive. He said if the overdose stops the
heart, one can only receive resuscitation within the next four to six
minutes before it is too late.

"Heroin is very prevalent," said Cpt. Tom Heath of the La Porte City
Police Department. "We have news once a week of dealers. Part of it is
users need to stop using. They need to realize the risk of what it is
doing to their lives and to other people."

Heath said the money spent for a drug habit could average from $30 to
$50 a day to people outside the city and the cost of law enforcement
to invest a lot of money into the drug programs creates an economic
loss in the area. He said the money could be used instead for local
businesses and services.

Heath also said crime rates go up due to drug use and feeding the
habit. He said many of the bank robberies that occurred earlier this
year in La Porte were for drug money.

"I would want to encourage families, friends, boyfriends or
girlfriends if your loved one has a drug problem, do anything you can.
Do not deny the addiction and don't enable the addiction. Their high
might feel good in short term but it is going to impact them
negatively in the long run."

Det. Sgt. Kevin Ulam of the La Porte County Sheriff's Department said
the community needs to be more vocal about the source of the issue.

"We have this drug anonymous hotline, but, although it helps, the
information given is still unverified and could not be held up as
evidence in court," said Ulam. "Our department's idea of
rehabilitation is incarceration where they can receive services for
their addiction. Is that my official stance? No, but I do agree that
the source needs to be shut off and the demand needs to be depleted."

There have been 31 heroin cases within the metro unit this year. This
does not include the cases with opiate-based painkillers, which have
the same effects as heroin, an opiate, when people abuse these
prescription drugs.

"Folks don't like seeing or hearing about it but we they need to be
more proactive," said Ulam. "We are reactive because people don't want
to help us out. The community has to get in an uproar and say this is
an outrage and start speaking out."

Ulam said most of their drug cases are heroin-related, and that most
people involved go to Chicago to buy the substance and come back to La
Porte to use it. Sometimes the users buy the substance in Chicago and
then bring it back to sell at a higher price to feed their own addiction.

He said heroin has destroyed many lives and families, and some of the
users in these cases continue to use after overdosing three or four
times.

"Prison, hospital or a morgue," said Ulam. "That is where you'd end
up. It is not a drug to play around with."

Cpt. John Boyd of the La Porte County Sheriff's Department agreed with
Ulam tha information from the tip hotline cannot be direct evidence,
but the information has given the metro department many leads to the
arrests they have made this year.

"We are seeing the younger suffer but it does effect the whole
community. Older people can be victims of theft and burglary that
occur to get money for a drug addiction," said Boyd. "Last year, we
had the number of overdoses exceeding the number of fatal, impaired
driving accidents."

But Boyd is positive they are doing all they can to collaborate with
other cities and law enforcement agencies, as well as look into
hotline tips to make arrests of those involved with drugs before and
overdose occurs.
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MAP posted-by: Matt