(This Letter to the Editor from Branson West Police Chief Steve Dalton was sent to newspapers serving Stone and Taney counties.)
As the Police Chief of Branson West and a former officer with the Branson Police Department, I have seen firsthand the negative consequences associated with substance abuse. Substance abuse affects individuals, families, schools, churches, and businesses - it affects our entire community.
Given the far-reaching effect of substance abuse on our community, it is clear that we all need to do more to address the issue. We need health care providers, law enforcement officers, school administrators, politicians, business owners, social service agencies, and general community members to come together to promote proactive solutions to protect our collective wellbeing. Addressing such a complex issue will require everyone working together because law enforcement cannot solve this challenge alone.
There are a number of reasons for my alarm. Substance abuse is often associated with an increase in criminal activity, as those with substance use disorders seek to fund their addiction. Consequently, the courts must deal with these offenders and prison populations continue to rise. These issues divert already scarce law enforcement resources from other pressing problems and the truth is we cannot arrest our way out of this problem.
I am also aware of the negative effects of substance abuse on our healthcare system, where, for example, individuals seeking hospital care due to the overuse of opioid pain medication has increased by 138% in Missouri between 2006 and 2015. In law enforcement, we have also identified persons who report a progression from prescription opioid abuse to heroin injection. The abuse of opioid pain medication constitutes a new route to heroin abuse, placing new populations at risk for heroin addiction. In addition, many heroin users progress to injection drug use as their tolerance develops and the quality of heroin varies. The implications for the spread of blood-borne diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus, are clear.
Law enforcement has a role to play, but the key to success is changing the stigma of substance abuse from that of simply a choice or moral failing to treating it like what it is – a disease – and getting those with substance use disorders the help that they need to manage the disease.
Substance abuse prevention and treatment providers have the tools needed to do the job. Prevention and treatment specialists are the front-line defense against substance use disorders, yet prevention, treatment options are often overlooked, and the necessary community collaboration for the use of resources is lacking. Effective tried and tested prevention and treatment can help extinguish the fire that the demand for drugs is fueling. Stone and Taney counties have many tools with which to combat substance abuse, but until effective prevention and treatment options are utilized, we will always be playing catchup.
One area of ongoing concern is the lack of access to medication to treat substance use disorders. Local drug courts have shown success in utilizing medication assisted treatment (MAT), but the lack of medical providers that are willing to prescribe MAT to the general population is limiting this potential.
I am encouraged by the new Stone & Taney Counties Substance Abuse Initiative, which provides an opportunity for community members to get involved as we seek to address substance abuse in a comprehensive manner. To find out more, contact the Project Coordinator, Marietta Hagan, at 417-335-7333 or marietta.hagan@coxhealth.com. You can also contribute by taking a short survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SAISpring17.
Sincerely,
Chief Steve DaltonBranson West Police Department
Law enforcement has a role to play, but the key to success is changing the stigma of substance abuse from that of simply a choice or moral failing to treating it like what it is – a disease – and getting those with substance use disorders the help that they need to manage the disease.
Substance abuse prevention and treatment providers have the tools needed to do the job. Prevention and treatment specialists are the front-line defense against substance use disorders, yet prevention, treatment options are often overlooked, and the necessary community collaboration for the use of resources is lacking. Effective tried and tested prevention and treatment can help extinguish the fire that the demand for drugs is fueling. Stone and Taney counties have many tools with which to combat substance abuse, but until effective prevention and treatment options are utilized, we will always be playing catchup.
One area of ongoing concern is the lack of access to medication to treat substance use disorders. Local drug courts have shown success in utilizing medication assisted treatment (MAT), but the lack of medical providers that are willing to prescribe MAT to the general population is limiting this potential.
I am encouraged by the new Stone & Taney Counties Substance Abuse Initiative, which provides an opportunity for community members to get involved as we seek to address substance abuse in a comprehensive manner. To find out more, contact the Project Coordinator, Marietta Hagan, at 417-335-7333 or marietta.hagan@coxhealth.com. You can also contribute by taking a short survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SAISpring17.
Sincerely,
Chief Steve DaltonBranson West Police Department
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