It seems that people can’t go more than a couple days in Harford County without hearing about the heroin epidemic. In the first three months of 2017, 22 people died of heroin overdoses in Harford County. There also have been 106 non-fatal overdoses. In the same period last year, seven had died of overdoses, according to baltimoresun.com

    The heroin epidemic isn’t just something heard about, it’s actually affecting people we go to school with everyday.Senior Alaina Rives recalls how heroin has affected her life after the overdose of her sister.   “It just made it harder to….. function. It kinda changes everything and it makes it more real to me than other people affected by it who don’t see how real it is.”

    Another Senior, Natalie Mullen expresses the effect of heroin on her family after the recent overdose of her brother, “Heroin really devastated our family. The loss of Zach is something that will affect us our whole lives. We didn’t realize it was such a big problem in our county until it was too late.” On August 21st, People Magazine released an issue with the article, “Faces of an Epidemic: Stories of the Victims of America’s Opioid Crisis — and the Fight to Save Lives”, and one of those faces was Mullens brother Zach.

    “Four out of five heroin addicts began with legal prescription drugs”, said Carol Frontera, president of the Bel Air-based Albert P. Close Foundation Inc. “Parents and caregivers need to take a proactive approach to learning about addiction and having conversations with their children beginning at a very early age. Children as young as elementary school need to know about drugs and alcohol and the dangers associated with them. Establish open lines of communication with kids and don’t pad the truth. Drugs and alcohol are no joke. You don’t know if you’re predisposed to becoming addicted so it’s never worth the risk.”

    By why is Harford county so affected by the grasps of heroin? As reported in the Aegis “Baltimore City consistently appears to be a source for a large amount of the heroin affecting Harford County”. Harford County and its task force are working to find the origin of this flow of drugs into our county. Many guest of the recent meeting at Emory United Methodist Church on “The Hard Truth of Addiction” had something to say about the inflow of heroin into Harford County. Many say it is due to the close proximity to Baltimore and through drug pipelines like 1-95 and Route 40. But all are working to reduce heroins imprint on Harford County.

    For those struggling with addiction substance abuse facilities can be found on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website or they can call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support at 1-800-422-0009. In the case that you are in a situation where someone overdoses you are criminally immune from being charged,arrested, and prosecuted for certain crimes.  Do not be afraid to call 911, it can be the difference between life and death.