The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department is partnering with the public to attack the heroin epidemic head-on.
Part of the strategy is to hold two forums explaining what the department has done, how residents can help, and where we go from here.
The "Eastern Heroin Forum" will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 27 at the Anderson Center on Five Mile Rd. in Anderson Township. RSVP by calling (513) 688-8400 or emailing ameyer@andersontownship.org. The other forum (Western Heroin Forum) will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 3 at the Miami Township Administration Building.
"This isn't a bunch of politicians," said Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil. "These are individuals rolling their sleeves up and dealing with this problem every day."
Neil said people attending the forums "will hear directly from those on the front lines working to rid our community of this gripping epidemic."
Speakers include:
- A former heroin addict on what it took to get his life back on track.
- Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit (RENU) on how heroin is coming into the community.
- Dr. Stephen Feagins on how it has affected the medical community.
- Major Charmaine McGuffey on the impact it's had on the criminal justice system.
- Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco on heroin and death.
- Hamilton County Heroin Coalition will talk about coming together to communicate and collaborate.
WVXU's Tana Weingartner reported Hamilton County has created a Heroin Task Force aimed at curbing the rapidly increasing number of users and overdoses.
In her story, County Commission President Greg Hartmann announced the effort during his annual State of the County address.
"Nine thousand heroin addicts came through our jail in 2013," says Hartmann. "There's seven heroin overdoses per day in the City of Cincinnati. I've begun discussions in Columbus. I'm also going to invite the City and our public health experts."
