Town Hall on Opiates

On Thursday, May 17 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Stark State College, the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board (MHRSB) and Quest Recovery and Prevention Services will present a free event to inform the public about the real issues around prescription medication/opiate use and abuse. This is the final of five town hall meetings that have been hosted all over Stark County. This meeting will focus on the Jackson and North Canton communities. In this session people will learn:

     * The history of opiates, prescription meds and heroin.

     * When good turns bad: the signs of abuse and

        addiction.

     * Heroin use is on the rise. Why this is significant?

     * Abuse to epidemic – how did we get here?

     * What is a “pill mill” and do they exist here in Stark

        County?

     * What makes opiate dependency different?

     * The family dynanmic – you can help, but you can’t

        rescue.

     * What is the law and how it impacts children and

        teens.

     * Treatment options.

     * Where one can go for help and family support.

     * You CAN recover from addiction– what recovery looks

        like.

     * How citizens can get involved.

The schools, police, courts and even the Stark County Coroner’s office are reporting the rapid and significant increase in the number of incidents they are dealing with on a daily basis where prescription meds/opiates are at the core, up to and including death. With it comes crime and broken families. However, when used properly, under a bona fide doctor’s care, they can be useful tools in managing pain.

Representatives from both organizations, the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, both North Canton and Jackson Twp. Police Departments and their school Resource Officers will be on hand to answer questions. Quest is prepared to accept appointments if someone is in immediate need. In addition to these speakers, Dale and Terrie Batdorff will share their very personal story of their son Dustin’s death due to opiate addiction.

The session will take place in the Silk Auditorium in new Business and Entrepreneurial Center at Stark State College, 6200 Frank Ave. NW. Attendees may enter and park in the lot off of Frank Ave. in front of the Center. While the event is free and open to the public, registration is preferred. Go to www.starkmhrsb.org and click on the Education and Events tab. We thank Stark State College for hosting this important event. This concludes the first round of public meetings. Others may be offered in the future based on public demand.