Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the Jan. 10 article “Heroin Just Doesn’t Move the Needle” by Chad Williamson.
I live in Union County. I grew up here. I work for Wings Support and Recovery, a non-profit peer support center located in Marysville. I see the faces of heroin addiction every day. I agree with Mr. Williamson, these aren’t the faces of strangers. These are the faces of your neighbors and co-workers. They come from every walk of life and all ages.
It is sad that as a community we have become so numb to a problem that we don’t see it as newsworthy. Heroin addiction is the root of many of the problems we have in our county. The petty thefts, suicides and overdoses Mr. Williamson mentioned are just a few of these problems. Homelessness, which can also be linked to addiction, is a problem in Union County as well. How can we address the problem of homelessness in our community?
We have lost some of our innocence. This is no longer the Marysville of my childhood. Heroin addiction should move our needle. We shouldn’t accept any addiction as “normal.” Heroin addiction may not sell newspapers, however, that doesn’t make it less of a problem.
Not allowing ourselves to become immune to the problem of heroin addiction is the first step. What can we do as a community to bring awareness to the problem of addiction? How can we keep Marysville from becoming Denial, Ohio? If we work together there is hope. Wings Support and Recovery is just one of the places where that home can be found. The Hope Center, the Mental Health and Recovery Board, Bridges Community Action and New Vision are just some of the resources available in Marysville.
Recovery is possible, not just for the individual, but for us as a community.
Laura Comer
Wings Enrichment Center
Friday, January 21
