Community Drug Addiction Program- Brainstorming Session

 

The members of the club who attended last week's meeting helped us to start the process of establishing a club strategy to address the issue of drug abuse and addiction in our area. Led by Andy Grief, each club member wrote down his or her preferences for dealing with the growing epidemic of drug addiction in southern Maine. All of our responses were stuck on larger sheets on the walls supplied by Andy.  The goal would have been to let everyone read each other's suggestions and then ask questions about the answers, but we ran out of time.  The group agreed to keep the process going this week.  This process is really important to the club so I would encourage everyone to try to make the meeting next week.

 

            Andy was nice enough to transfer our responses to a typed sheet which I then emailed to everyone. Please review those responses prior to this week’s meeting and develop any questions you may have about the suggestions of others.  Our goal at this week’s meeting will be to narrow our focus on how we can best address the problem of drug abuse.  We can the turn our club selection(s) over to the new committee which can further refine our strategy. 

 

            This interactive process is a really healthy and collaborative way to develop our club plan.  Imagine that you are building a doghouse.  Do you just run to the lumber yard and buy some wood, nails and paint and then start cutting, or do you come up with a plan with dimensions, a material list and develop order in which you will build your dog’s new home?  Well, we are coming up with the plans right now. While we all feel more productive when we are actually cutting boards and pounding nails, if we don't develop a plan we end up wasting time and money and coming up with a doghouse that isn't big enough or simply falls down. Measure twice and cut once is what they say.  Let's lay the proper foundation as a club that we can then all rally around.  It may be a little slower process than we like but it should be more effective in the end.

 

            If you have any doubt that drug addiction is a real problem in this country, take a look at these statistics shared by Karen Chasse who recently attended the Coastal Healthy Communities Project Alliance meeting.  These numbers really make you think.

 

·         In Maine, heroin overdose deaths increased from seven in 2011 to 57 in 2014. (Source: CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

 

·         2.6 out of every 1,000 US residents 12 and older used heroin in the years 2011-2013; A 63% increase in use and a 90% increase in abuse or dependence since the years 2002-2004.  (Source: CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

 

·         People who are addicted to narcotic painkillers are 40 times more likely to misuse heroin. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

 

·         Maine DEA Heroin Case Trends: 69 cases in 2011, 113 in 2012, 223 in 2013, 276 in 2014 (2014 has a star next to it so I think that was not the full years numbers).  Interestingly, the narcotic cases have gone from 232 in 2011, 210 in 2012, 89 in 2013 and 73 in 2014 and the narcotic cases have also decreased thanks to Drug Take Back days from 386 in 2011, 376 in 2012, 294 in 2013 and 159 in 2014.

 

·         According to the 2013 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, of the high school students in CHCC’s service area:

o   7.4% have used a prescription drug in the past 30 days without a doctor’s prescription (22.7% have used marijuana)

o   22.6% believe it is “sort of easy” or “very easy” to get prescription drugs (57.4% for marijuana)

o   13.5% perceive there is “no risk” or “slight risk” of harm (58.6% for marijuana)

 

            Again, please make every effort to make the meeting on October 21st.  We value everyone's voice and we want to hear from you.