Town hall is good step in combating drug epidemic
One glance at this newspaper each day tells the story about how drugs – especially heroin and prescription pain pills – have infiltrated our communities, spurred rising crime rates and ruined countless lives.
Diagnosing the fact that there’s a serious problem was easy. Finding a workable solution, however, has stymied community leaders and law enforcement.
Greene County officials are trying to find a cure to this disease by holding a town hall meeting this week to open up dialogue on this important issue.
“It’s not a secret anymore,” said Robert Terry, the founder of the Waynesburg-based Steps Inside program that tries to help local drug addicts and alcoholics. “We are trying to move the ball in the other direction.”
Gary Tennis, secretary of the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, will be the guest speaker, and discuss the issue with other local leaders who have a stake in the game. They include Greene County President Judge Farley Toothman, state police Sgt. Steve Dowlin, who commands the Waynesburg barracks, Michael Cipoletti, an assistant professor of forensic science at Waynesburg University, Craig Wise, director of Greene County probation and parole, and many others.
It’s important to have those local and diverse voices involved in the conversation. The town hall meeting begins at 7 p.m. Thursday inside the Greene County Courthouse.
“People always say it’s not in our backyard this, not in our backyard that. Well, it’s here,” Toothman said last week. “It’s wherever we live in Greene County.”
But talking alone won’t solve this problem. While we applaud this forum, we hope it spurs systemic changes, not only here but elsewhere, to combat the growing problem.
The current model is not working, and there are no easy answers. But the conversation is a positive sign that many people in Greene County are at least acknowledging there is a serious problem and committed to doing something to combat addiction issues.
The community forum is a good first step, but the real work begins immediately afterward.