216 drug overdose deaths in Clark County since 2010. So many more saved by the grace of God and a drug called Narcan. So many sorrows in families and so many wasted dreams and hopes of moms and dads as they see their children sink into addiction. And, according to Sheriff Kelly 99% of all those dead are white men and women of all ages. Scared—you should be. This drug called heroin knows no economic boundaries, knows no family ties, knows no age differences—it KILLS all in its path.
On October 22, Family and Youth Initiatives will hold a special event which will informative and vital for every family in the area. It will feature Dr. Brad Lander, one of the nation’s experts on drug addiction. Dr. Lander, Clinical Director of Addiction Psychiatry, at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Dr Lander is one of the nation’s most foremost experts on the affects of heroin and will explain how the brain changes with heroin and how it can affect the whole family structure. And after Dr. Lander, speakers from the community will speak to what effects this epidemic has on our own community, and what we can do to help stop this from ruining our community. Lori Erion, Executive Director of Families of Addicts, will speak to the horror that this epidemic can have on families and how we can help them recover.
The event will be held from 6-9pm at Sacred Heart Social Center, 209 West Lake Street, New Carlisle, and is free to the public. Moms, dads, teens, grandparents, and the whole community is strongly encouraged to come to hear the speakers. This is a serious subject. Even Sheriff Kelly states, “Heroin is cheap. “We can buy heroin pills in the north end of New Carlisle for $5,” said Kelly. “And it’s not real heroin, it’s Fentanyl, a synthetic heroin. Fentanyl labs are springing up throughout the county. Out of the 216 deaths in Clark County, there was one Black person and one Latino. The rest were white. The most deaths are 45-50 year old white males and females.”
Pat Banaszak, Executive Director of FYI, “We have all seen this problem go from prescription drug overdoes, to now heroin deaths. And it will not stop. It will not stop until we, as a community, demand to take our community back. We have to help those addicted, and demand justice for those who are feeding this death to our citizens. The sheriff’s office, the prosecutor’s office, and the judges can only do so much—we, as citizens, cannot sit and watch our families, neighbors, and acquaintances die. WE HAVE TO STAND UP – OR WE WILL ALL BE AFFECTED BY THIS EPIDEMIC.”
The students of DEFY, Tecumseh’s drug prevention mentoring after school high school group, will speak on what these drugs can do to teens and how we, as a community, can help them help their peers and younger students. These teens have been active since last year, mentoring the middle school students about refusal skills for at risk behaviors. As Leslie Nurton and Julie Driskill, their adult co-leaders from FYI states, “Students today are faced with drugs every day and have to have help to make the positive decision to say NO. Our group of teens talk to the middle schoolers every week about issues that can lead up to drug use and help them understand that at risk behaviors—such as drug use, violence, bullying, casual sex, drinking—can have serious consequences and greatly alter their long term goals. These kids need help from the whole community to help them help others. We hope this evening will give the community the education it needs to help.”
FYI is looking to those in the community who would like to help with this event. Volunteers are needed to help with registration and refreshments for the event and can volunteer at FYI headquarters by calling 845-0403, or by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The event is free, but people are encouraged to register online so that we can know an approximate number of people coming and can plan for that. Everyone—men, women, teens are invited and encouraged to this very VITAL meeting. Please encourage those you know, those who may not read this article, and those who have children growing up. AGAIN—HEROIN KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES—IT LIKES TO KILL ANYONE!!!
Pat Banaszak states, “Hillary Clinton once stated that it takes a village to raise a child—if that is true, then it is going to take the whole Miami Valley to come together in each of its small villages, to stand up and kick this killer out of our area, out of our state, and out of our country so that we can keep our children safe and alive to live their dreams. IT STARTS HERE—ON OCTOBER 22.”
