That's a great idea and likely the best option. The problem is most people say "not in my neighborhood" when talk of opening rehab facilities begins. This just recently happened in Ashland when a doctor wanted to open a rather large facility on the southern end of downtown near Central Park. The problem was the adjoining neighborhood mostly consists of 500,000+ houses, with a few million dollar homes. The treatment center would actually be on a main road still inside the business district, but walk a block south and there are old mansions. The building it would have went in was the old junior college that has been vacant for years now and there would have been a full restoration of the building. Anyway it went to vote and the consensus was that Ashland is open to having a treatment center, just not there. I guess if they stick it in the ghetto it's okay, but at that point the people needing treatment could literally walk out the front door and get their dope in a couple of minutes.

 

Same thing happened here several years ago. Biggest issue most had was that it was going to be within 1000 feet of local elementary and middle school and very close proximity to the local mall. One local Magistrate led the charge to oppose it and it never happened. Had it been in a different location it probably would have been opened, but the location killed it here.

Same thing happened here several years ago. Biggest issue most had was that it was going to be within 1000 feet of local elementary and middle school and very close proximity to the local mall. One local Magistrate led the charge to oppose it and it never happened. Had it been in a different location it probably would have been opened, but the location killed it here.

 

This one would have also been near an elementary school and a daycare, but that was never brought up as an issue, the people against it were the millionaires that live in the adjoining neighborhood. If being near a school is ever brought up as an issue here then Ashland will never have a treatment center because you can't go 1,000 yards anywhere in the city and not run into a school. Anytime there is someone charged with trafficking here the "trafficking within 1,000 yards of a school" can be tacked on anytime the arresting officer wants to.

Unfortunately, most addicts do not have meaningful employment, which makes it unlikely they file a tax return, much less get a refund.

 

They will probably file to get the Earned Income Credit. When I did tax prep for low income people, some people with very low income and no tax liability qualified for some good sized refunds due to the Earned Income Tax Credit.

This one would have also been near an elementary school and a daycare, but that was never brought up as an issue, the people against it were the millionaires that live in the adjoining neighborhood. If being near a school is ever brought up as an issue here then Ashland will never have a treatment center because you can't go 1,000 yards anywhere in the city and not run into a school. Anytime there is someone charged with trafficking here the "trafficking within 1,000 yards of a school" can be tacked on anytime the arresting officer wants to.

 

Not surprising. There are NIMBYs everywhere.

 

Other problems with the idea of taxpayer dollars going to rehabilitation:

 

• It's a slow process. Americans like immediate results for their money spent, and rehab takes too long, and doesn't always work the first (or 10th) time. Locking them up in a jail and feeling good about how "justice was served" is an appealing thought for many Americans, and law-and-order types especially.

 

• The jail/prison industry lobby can throw a lot of monetary weight around in DC. It's been a problem for decades, and it's why we incarcerate more people per capita than any other country, last I checked. Those jails need to stay full for those companies' investments in the political process to pay off. Free speech and all, y'know.

 

• Anybody see that thing where Sessions wants to use more private jails during a time when most people feel like private prisons is a bleed on the US coffers? Or how Sessions still has a "Reefer Madness" mindset about punishing evil marijuana users, despite shifting tides against criminalization of weed? Yeah, I bet he's all about rehab as a way to "fix" the drug problem in the US.

I still say a lot of these folks that are on heroin are suffering from a mental illness of some sort. Kind of a blanket statement I know but a lot of the addicts I've talked to in depth have admitted that they're suffering from more than just addiction. They've called this an epidemic for a reason.

 

Keep on hoping for a solution to come around but it will take time, if there is one short of cutting off supply to heroin or narcan.

Edited March 9, 20179 yr by sportsfan41

Adult Drug Court

Kentucky Drug Court: Saving Costs, Saving Lives

Getting them into the "System" may allow them access to Drug Court. I'm sure there are some cases where it hasn't worked well or where judges haven't fully supported it. But in the areas where it has been embraced it has been very successful.

 

Can't tell you how many of those folks are suspected of a crime. Their parole officer finds out. What do you know, they fail a random drug test. Now with that said I'm only familiar with those type of cases, perhaps some succeed, but there sure are a lot that don't.

Edited March 9, 20179 yr by sportsfan41

Time to stop giving Narcan. It won't stop kids from doing heroin, but it may scare current users enough to seek help. If they know they won't be resuscitated then, maybe they will attempt recovery.