Title: Heroin Use, an Emerging Epidemic
Shared By: Jim Thaxton, Coordinator of the Northern Kentucky Heroin Impact Response Task Force,
610 Medical Village Drive, Edgewood, KY 41017, 859-250-0212.
Currently, the United States is in the grips of one of the worst heroin epidemics in its history. This is
due in part to a flood of cheap doses of the drug, which can be acquired for as little as $4 apiece.
Some regions are reporting that heroin is deemed "highly available" by local police in more than
three times the number of communities as it was just seven years ago.
According to a special report, United States in the Grips of a Heroin Epidemic, in communities across
Kentucky, heroin abuse is "spreading like a cancer," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, RKentucky, told the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control in May. The problem is most
acute in Northern Kentucky just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. "We are losing close to 100
fellow Kentuckians a month to drug-related deaths," McConnell said. "This is more lives lost than to
fatal car crashes."
Special thanks to our fellow public health champion Jim Thaxton, for sharing his current work and
passion for combating this growing threat in the our neighboring communities of Northern
Kentucky (NKY).
I had retirement in my sites and was putting pressure on the trigger when the Director of Three
Rivers District Health Department Georgia Heise DPH and Lynne Saddler MD Director of Northern
Kentucky Independent Health Department asked me to serve as the full time Coordinator of the
Northern Kentucky Heroin Impact Response Task Force (NKY-HIRT). The Coordinator position is
funded by grants to the Northern Kentucky Area Development District through December 30, 2016.
There are over 30 active and some 40 semi-active members of NKY-HIRT. The members include: a
half dozen medical doctors, hospital administrators and staff, elected judicial, law enforcement
corrections, and other state and local officials, police and emergency management personnel,
academics, public health, mental health and social workers, professionals working with individuals
with substance use disorders, students, business leaders, and members of coalitions and grassroots
organizations.
The grassroots organizations include NKY PAR (People Advocating Recovery), NKY Hates Heroin,
Tabatha’s Fight, TAM (The Addicts Mom) and other coalitions. As the parents and loved ones of
people who have died from or in recovery from a substance use disorder, they help shape policy,
legislation, and overcome the inertia of institutions to change.
All these individuals created Northern Kentucky’s Collective Response to the Heroin Epidemic. My job
responsibility is to coordinate their efforts to carry out this plan. (The plan is available on line at:
http://drugfreenky.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Northern-Kentuckys-Collective-ResponseFinal.pdf)
Each year, NKY-HIRT elects members to represent the key components of the plan and serve on the
Coordinating Council. (See the NKY HIRT Mission Statement and graphic chart below.)
In the nine months that I have served as the Coordinator of NKY HIRT, I have learned the following to
be true and supported by research as evidence based:
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The number of overdoses due to heroin in NKY continues to rise.
The number of heroin arrests and heroin seizures continues to rise.
Opioids and especially heroin are extremely addictive.
The first exposure to opioids may be a choice; the addiction that may develop is not
Heroin addiction is a chronic progressive brain condition that left untreated results in death.
Heroin addiction is different from other substance use disorders like tobacco, alcohol, etc.
Heroin addiction does not respect racial, social, economic, religious, age, or gender.
Medicated Assisted Therapy (MAT) is evidence based treatment for heroin addiction.
Each person addicted to heroin is different and requires MAT that meets their needs.
Narcan/Naloxone saves lives and does not enable heroin addiction.
Sharing needles and discarded needles spread disease and place the general public at risk.
Syringe exchange programs help prevent disease and present opportunities for treatment.
If drug court judges deny access to MAT they may be practicing medicine without a license.
Abstinence treatment programs, AA, NA, often reject heroin patients using MAT.
We cannot arrest our way out of the heroin crisis.
Heroin addicts want to recover.
Crime rises as heroin addiction spreads through a community.
Crime declines when MAT and syringe exchange programs are practiced.
Legislation to the rescue? House Bill (HB) 213
Today’s anti-heroin bill, House Bill 213, would create more treatment options for addicts while
establishing tiered penalties for traffickers, with the greatest prison time for felons who sell over a
kilo of the drug. The bill also includes a “good Samaritan” provision that gives immunity to those
who call for emergency help when someone overdoses.
In addition, the bill would make the rescue drug (Nalozone) more readily available. The drug can
reverse the effects of a heroin overdose if promptly administered. HB 213 also would allow local
governments to set up needle exchange programs to stave off Hepatitis C and Human
Immunodeficiency Virus infection from shared needles.
References: http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/heroindelaware/2014/06/14/usgrips-heroin-epidemic/10513619/, http://www.lrc.ky.gov/pubinfo/release.htm;