To: the Parishioners of Mother of God Parish
From: Carol Fausz, Health and Wellness Coordinator and Tanya Stager, Education Committee Chair
Because of the current and local wide-spread use of heroin and other substances involved with addiction, we are providing you with some materials in the form of a series of bulletin inserts to assist you in preventing and solving addiction problems with family, friends and the community. Better understanding can lead to compassionate resolution of issues with loved ones.
Addiction Facts
Addiction is a complex disease, often chronic in nature, which affects the structure and function of the brain. It can be effectively prevented, treated and managed by medical and other health professionals.
It is estimated that 66 percent of American families have been touched by the addiction of drugs or alcohol.
Fourteen percent of Americans have an addiction involving alcohol, drugs or nicotine or a combination of the addictions. These addictions involve over 40 million people.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has shown that 40-60 percent of the predisposition to addiction can be attributed to genetics. It is thought that the addiction itself is due to 50 percent genetic predisposition and 50 percent poor coping skills.
Use of Heroin has become an increasing problem in the United States and Northern Kentucky is experiencing the fallout from increased use. St. Elizabeth Health Care reported 252 Heroin overdoses in 2011 and 745 Heroin overdoses in 2014 with a monthly high of 123 in December 2014. An initial dose of Heroin may be relatively inexpensive or even free from a supplier but as dependence develops an individual with an addiction can spend up to $200 per day.
Users from ClermontCounty and southern KY counties are purchasing the drug in downtown Cincinnati, getting on I-471 and I-75 and stopping to “use” at accessible KY grocery store parking lots on their way home, sometimes overdosing in their cars.
Criminalization has not resulted in a decreased drug supply or consumption. Heroin is a medical problem, not a law enforcement problem. Advocates are now lobbying for prevention, early intervention, and treatment instead of incarceration.
“Spending time in prison is likely to enhance networking among other people trafficking in heroin. Individuals come out of prison worse than when the y went in. Instead, we should be spending our resources treating those who are caught up in addiction rather than imprisoning them.” Ernie Lewis, lobbyist for the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Drug courts have two kinds of cases: Case one is a person caught with illegal drugs. Case two is a person caught committing a crime in order to get money to buy drugs. Proper medical treatment stops both kinds of cases. The National Institute of Drug Abuse states that medication assisted treatment combined with contingency management therapy is now the gold standard for opiate (heroin is an opiate) treatment. Abstinence programs have not been found to work for heroin users. When folks switch to medicine assisted treatment instead of street drugs, criminal behavior stops.
The term “substance abuse” reinforces a sense of stigma or shame suggesting that people with addictions should be able to stop using substances rather than acknowledge that addiction is a serious disease which makes stopping extremely difficult. Chemical dependency is a chronic disease requiring on-going treatment much like diabetes, heart disease and other life-threatening diseases.
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NKY PAR, NKY Hates Heroin, Casey's Law, and various coalitions throughout NKY have literature and pamphlets that address this epidemic. Some can be pulled down from their respective websites.
Also, the NKY Heroin Impact Response Collective Plan can be found at:
Addiction Information - 2