As the heroin epidemic rages on, its horrific effects on not only the abusers have come to light in a grim way. The East Liverpool police department in Ohio has released pictures of a traffic stop showing two adults passed out with a 4-year-old child in the backseat looking on. It also shows the woman in the passenger seat showing signs of overdose. The police department explained their reason for posting the disturbing photos: “We feel it necessary to show the other side of this horrible drug…We need to be a voice for the children caught up in this horrible mess.”
The urgency to create a solution for this heroin epidemic not only stems from the thousands who have died of overdose, but also for the sake of the children involved. These are voiceless, helpless bystanders who fall by the wayside in the midst of drug addiction. In Ohio, 23% of child welfare case investigations in 2013 involved heroin or cocaine use. With staggering amounts of children, many under the age of one, being taken away from their parents due to drug use in the home, it is no wonder social workers are seeking government support.
Though the decision to release these photos was a difficult one, they did so in hopes of raising greater awareness of the epidemic that is impacting our children. They continued in a statement, “The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities not just ours, the difference is we are willing to fight this problem until it’s gone and if that means we offend a few people along the way we are prepared to deal with that.” One can hope that this will shed greater light on the epidemic that hits much closer to home than many believe.
If you or a loved one struggles with heroin addiction, our trained treatment specialists are here to help. The impacts of your addiction are deeply felt, but there is hope for recovery and restoration for your family. Call us today at (888) 507-1355 for a free, confidential assessment to begin your journey to recovery.
sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/09/health/heroin-effects-police-photo-trnd/index.html
http://www.drugfree.org/news-service/heroin-use-parents-leads-growing-number-children-foster-care/
