Vet
Forthe last several years I have come to the conclusion that we have way too manyyoung men standing around with nothing to do but get into trouble....soooo....I'mnow in favor of a draft program or call it a 2 year National Service WorksProgram. These young men need some firm guidance and a sense of purpose.
Rememberyears ago if you couldn't get your act together Judge Combs would give you achoice of going to jail or serving Uncle Sam.

Updated: 5:01 p.m.Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 | Posted: 1:06 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, 2015

Overdoses top killer in investigated cases

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

BUTLER COUNTY — 

    For the first time in the last 35 years —since these statistics were kept — natural deaths were not the leading cause ofdeath among cases investigated by the Butler County Coroner’s Office, accordingto data released Friday by the coroner.

    Drug overdoses overtook natural causes asthe No. 1 cause of death in the 400 cases accepted by the coroner’s office in2014, said Dr. Lisa Mannix, Butler County coroner. She saidthere were 137 drug overdoses in the county in 2014, one more death thannatural cause deaths. Of those drug deaths, 103, or 75 percent, were caused byheroin use, she said. The year before, the county reported 118 drug deaths and60 of them, or 51 percent, were heroin related, Mannix said.

    Butler County also saw 46suicides, 22 motor vehicle traffic fatalities, 33 other fatal accidents, 16undetermined deaths and 10 homicides last year, according to the report.

    Meanwhile, Warren Countyreported a slight drop in the number of heroin-related deaths last yearcompared to 2013. In Warren County, there were 42drug deaths investigated by the coroner’s office and 14 of them, or 33 percent,were heroin overdoses. But A. Doyle    Burke,chief investigator, said seven more potential heroin deaths are pending. Therewere 16 heroin overdoses in Warrenin 2013 and 11 in 2012, according to statistics from the county.

    In response to what has been called “aheroin epidemic” in Butler County, three heroin summits have been scheduled at Atrium MedicalCenter in Middletown and the second of those is Monday.The first summit attracted about 40 people, representing a cross section of thecommunity.

    Middletown City Manager Doug Adkins saidheroin killed 49 people in the city last year and strained the city’s publicsafety budget. He said Middletownspent $1.5 million in 2014 dealing with the affects of heroin.

    The initial summit was the first of “manysteps” to define the problem, look at root causes, and discuss what optionsshould be explored in education, intervention, treatment, and recovery, hesaid.

    Adkins was told that some people have saidthere is no way to control heroin’s grip on the city. Adkins said Middletown must try toreverse the recent trend.

    “There is nothing to be lost and everythingto be gained by trying to deal with the problem proactively,” he said. “Evenpartial success saves lives, reduces crime and reduces taxpayer expenses.”

    DeAnna Shores, from the SafetyCouncil of Southwest Ohio, added: “I know that it may feel like too big of anissue to wrap our arms around, but if we can get people to start small withprevention in their homes, businesses, churches and schools, then every meetingmattered.”

    The city spent $1.3 million in 2014 for thepolice department, Adkins said, including patrols, special operations by thenarcotics unit and jail corrections; $167,000 by the fire department; and morethan over $18,000 for indigent burials of drug overdose deaths.

    Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser hasestimated that 85 percent of the cases he sees are related to drugs, andMiddletown Municipal Court Judge Mark Wall said about 50 percent of court casesare connected to heroin, either because the person used the drug or stole tosupport their drug habit.

    Jackie Phillips, Middletown health director, said the key toreducing heroin addiction, or any health risk, is education and the earlier itstarts the better.

    “We have a lot of passion, we have a lot ofresources, we have a lot of love for our city and its residents and that wewill not stop until everyone is as healthy as they can possibly be,” she said.

    In response to the community’s need, one Middletown church is hosting a “Power Lunch” everyWednesday, starting March 4, in hopes of reducing the stronghold heroin has onthe city, said Lamar Ferrell, pastor of Berachah Church.

    He said the the “Power Lunch” (LaunchingUnified Neighborhood Community Healing) will be a time for area residents topray for those impacted by what has been called a heroin epidemic in Middletownand throughout Butler County.

    The lunches will be held at noon everyWednesday at the former Verity School property, 1900 Johns Road.Berachah recently purchased the school and the property for $293,000 from theMiddletown City Schools District. He said the lunches will be heldindefinitely.

    “We want to see a marked difference withinone year,” Ferrell said.

    Every week, he said, a different Middletown neighborhoodwill be highlighted, and clergy from that area will be asked to lead the prayer.He said the events will last about 15 minutes.

HEROIN ARRESTS

Thenumber of heroin related arrests by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office hasdropped the past two years after a record high in 2012.

2005:19

2006:24

2007:25

2008:52

2009:117

2010:96

2011:137

2012:233

2013:149

2014:142

SOURCE: Butler County Sheriff’s Office