HARD DRUG USE ON THE RISE LOCALLY

Opiates Becoming Bigger Problem

LANCASTER -- Fairfield County is experiencing an increase in the use of
harder and more serious drugs in the last two years, and the county may not
be in a position to adequately deal with the problem.

Marc Grodner, executive director of The Recovery Center, said they have
been seeing a real change in the types of drugs their clients are using.

"We usually have 30 active clients we are helping a month," Grodner said.
"About 5 percent of the clients used to be people with opiate drug
problems. In the last 18 months it has grown to 20 to 25 percent of our
clients."

Opiates are drugs like opium, morphine or heroin, which often dull people's
senses. They are often used legally as pain killers when prescribed by doctors.

The Recovery Center, 1856 Cedar Hill Road, Lancaster, offers outpatient
counseling to adults and adolescents both individually and in groups with
alcohol and drug abuse problems.

Fairfield Medical Center, 401 N. Ewing St., Lancaster, handles many of the
immediate drug crisis' through the Emergency Department.

Dr. Tom Vajen, director of emergency medical services at the medical
center, said they had been seeing a large increase in the number of people
coming to the emergency room who have tested positive for opiates, with
nearly a 30 percent increase last year when compared to 2003.

"In 2003 we had 195 patients who tested positive for opiates," Vajen said.
"In 2004 the medical center had seen 272 patients who tested positive for
opiates. What we are seeing is more people in the community are misusing
drugs."

The misuse of drugs can have tragic results. Law enforcement officials in
Fairfield County are investigating a series of possible overdose deaths
that have occurred since mid-December.

John Postlethwaite, commander of the Fairfield-Hocking County Major Crimes
Unit, said the drug problem in Fairfield County will not be solved by
enforcement only.

"We have got to have some type of treatment alternatives for these people,"
Postlethwaite said. "The county just doesn't have any place where people
who want to get help can find it easily."

And opiates, like heroin and cocaine, are as easy to get hooked on and
tougher to stop using than alcohol and marijuana, said Gary Williams,
clinical director of The Recovery Center.

"A heroin addict could go downhill in as much as six months, where alcohol
can take years," Williams said.

"Withdrawal from opiates and heroin is some of the most painful you can
experience," Williams said. "The people we are seeing today are a lot
sicker then what we used to see two years ago."

Vajen said one of the problems with the drugs being purchased on the street
is that drug addicts really don't know what they are getting.

"You don't know what the quality of the drug is, what is being added to
it," Vajen said. "It really could be anything."

Williams said the normal process to recovery is enter some type of clinic
or hospital to be monitored while the drug is in your system. Then the
addict should spend time in a residential facility, normally for a month,
and then they need outpatient support to fully recover.

Vajen said if someone goes to the medical center, a complete medical
evaluation will be done, a psychological evaluation taken and if they are
not admitted to the medical center, medical personnel will direct the
patient to people who can help them.

But Grodner said Fairfield County does not have any residential treatment
facility.

"We send our clients up to the nearest place in Columbus," Grodner said.

"They have between a 12-month to 18-month waiting list," Williams said.
"The problem is these people need help now."

One of the most common drugs used to combat heroin addiction is methadone,
and the nearest clinic for addicts to get help from Fairfield County is in
Columbus.

Williams said the most significant problem in dealing with people addicted
to opiates in the county is that there is no residential treatment program.

Doug Blair, a counselor with The Recovery Center, said despite the
limitations, the Center can offer some help to those who want help.

"The first thing they need to do is call," Blair said. "We are basically a
triage, but we can get people in crisis help."

The Recovery Center works closely with Fairfield Medical Center, Job &
Family Services and the Veterans Administration.

"If you are going through withdrawal, you should go to the emergency room,"
Blair said. "We can refer people to public or private medical centers. If
you are a veteran we can help steer you to (Veterans Administration
hospitals) and programs."

Vajen and Grodner said both organizations maintain a strict confidentiality
between counselors and doctors and the patients.

The recent deaths are tragic, Grodner said.

"If we had residential treatment program nearby or physicians who could
coordinate drug treatment, those people probably would not have died,"
Grodner said.