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Local News

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Watch for signs of opiate addiction
By JORDAN CRAVENS

staff writer

Alcoholics can be a dead giveaway with the smell of booze on their breath. Heroin and painkiller abusers are harder to recognize.

But there are signs to indicate someone is hooked on highly addictive, and sometimes fatal, opiates.

"With opiate users, often the pupils get smaller, almost like a pinpoint," said Lynn Snyder, a substance abuse therapist at Century Health, a treatment center in Findlay.

Snyder said another red flag is if money and valuables turn up missing. Addicts will stop at nothing to get drugs, she said.

She once had a client who admitted to stealing medication from a family member who was in hospice care, and another who racked up a five-figure credit card bill purchasing merchandise she later pawned to get money for drugs.

"There is almost an unlimited number of ways you can pay for drugs," said Kendra Grant, who has been working in the addiction treatment field for more than a decade.

Drug dealers don't just accept money. They also take DVDs, electronics, diapers and formula, Grant said.

Also, be on the lookout for drug paraphernalia.

Finding cut-up straws where there are no cups, powder residue on hard surfaces, rolled-up dollar bills, or balled-up foil may indicate the person is snorting opiates.

Typically, "they would be using these things first before shooting it (with a syringe)," Grant said.

Drug tests can also be used as a tool determine if someone is using.

"If they deny it, then say, 'Prove it!'" Snyder said.

For children, knowing parents are drug testing can give them an out from peer pressure, Grant said.

Behavioral changes, like withdrawing from family activities, are also associated with addiction, according to Angy Shaferly, a registered nurse at Anhedonia, an opiate addiction treatment center in Findlay.

Doctor and pharmacy shopping can also be a signal. If a person is continually changing doctors or pharmacies, they may be trying to get more opiates, Shaferly said.

Track marks on a person's arms are also a sign of abuse. But the professionals say by the time a person is shooting drugs through a syringe, the addiction has advanced.

And not everyone shoots up through their arms. Some shoot up between their toes, Snyder said.

But still, take note if someone is wearing long sleeves out of season, Shaferly said.

If a person admits to using, or you have identified them as an abuser of drugs, the worst thing to do is bail them out, Snyder said.

"The sooner they see their life is falling apart, the easier it is to get them clean," she said.

"The family members, especially with these younger people, have got to come down on them right away and not enable them," she said.

Treatment, medicated detoxification and offering to go to Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous with the user are recommended by the professionals.

Parents should talk to their children about drugs and their abuse, although it's admittedly a difficult task, Grant said.

"Most people would put more effort into buying a house rather than research prevention of drug abuse with their children," she said.

Online:

www.na.org



Cravens: 419-427-8422,

Send an e-mail to Jordan Cravens

Friday: What are community leaders doing about the opiate problem?


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3 Comments

Latest comments listed first.
Jeanne wrote:
R - I understand...
“ Am aware of someone who is on Disability from probably the age of 25 - may be Workman's Comp. Was injured while working, but would bet that accident was caused by effects of drugs causing poor balance and impaired judgement. More tax dollars gone! ”
Thursday, July 29, 2010 3:57:32 PM
terri wrote:
addiction series
“ being the mother of aaron, who lost his life to this killer drug, i still have to say we need intence inpatient care for these people. aa meetings, na meetings,centray health counseling are great but.. where do they turn or go when this is over?? call #211?? then where? we need a place day or night they can walk into when they have reached that point in their addiction. we took our son to the er,to be told we don't have what he needs. gentleman from centray health came in the middle of the night to tell us we can send him to orchard hall!! my son was not physociatic he was an addict crying out for help!! orchard hall says to us, were not a detox center the only addictions we've dealt with is alchol & cocaine. we don't know how to treat an opiate addiction. he stayed there for 1 wk. sure he wasn't able to use heroin but he was not treated for this either. when he became upset, they sedated him. if all these programs you people are telling me have been in our county for awhile now,WHY WHY WHY, did orchard hall not inform us of this???? my son was not crazy, did not steal from us, but begged for help. try having that guilt on your shoulders when we as parents are suppose to protect our children. r.i.p.MY SON AARON & TAYLOR ACKERMAN. lets stop pretending we have the needed resources & get our own detox center here before we have many more AARON & TAYLORS. ”
Thursday, July 29, 2010 3:55:35 PM
R wrote:
bailing them out
“ "The sooner they see their life is falling apart, the easier it is to get them clean,"

Tell that to the Social Security Administration! I think tax payers would be shocked if they knew how many addicts end up getting Social Security checks. Then they get some food stamps and help from welfare for medications they are on, sometimes they sell their medication to buy the drugs they are addicted to! They also end up going to Charities and getting food and help with paying their rent!

How do I know this? Because my brother is an addict and has been for over 20 years. I watched him blow through close to $30,000 when he was finally give social security and got back paid from the time he filed till he was finally approved!

There's a story for you Jordan! ”
Thursday, July 29, 2010 9:36:21 AM
   NEWS VIDEO

Benton Ridge Shooting

This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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j wrote in article "Many winners named as Hancock Fair opens":
Good but little expensive
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Yfkm wrote in article "Heroin outbreak":
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9/2/2010 9:08:20 AM
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.