Brecksville D.A.R.E. Officer Doesn't See Heroin Use As a Problem in the Community

In nearby Independence, the community is coming together to fight heroin use in their city.

News Net 5 reports that hundreds of people attended a meeting Thursday night to hear stories from a recovering addict and to plan future education and conversations. Four people have died from suspected heroin overdoses in the past couple of months, according to the article.

The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network’s June 2011 drug abuse trend report for the Cleveland area showed that heroin is one of the most-often used drugs and one of the easiest to get in the region.

The is not ignoring this nearby issue. Officer John Chrisopulos said it would be foolish to assume the drug hasn’t made its way to Brecksville, but they haven’t seen any problems yet. Chrisopulos said the department and the school programs are aware and concerned, and their overall goal is to help students make wise choices.

Chrisopulos works with the through DARE, Drug Abuse Resistance Education. He said the program—along with the Community Awareness and Prevention Association and H.U.D.D.L.E.—focuses on raising students’ awareness of all drugs, but they have been talking about how dangerous and addictive heroin is. C.A.P.A.’s last email newsletter focused heavily on the drug.

For more information on heroin use, check Independence’s city website and the mayor and police chief’s letter to the community.