Published: November 16, 2009 05:03 pm      

Louisa says 'no'

Treatment programs essential in battling region’s drug woes

In the midst of a region-wide epidemic of prescription drug abuse, it is absolutely unbelievable that any governing body, community organizations or individuals would oppose a church-sponsored program designed to help individuals kick their addictions to prescription drugs. Incredible, but sadly true.

When Community Fellowship — a 18-month-old church in downtown Louisa — sought the support of the Louisa City Council to bring the Odyssey addiction recovery program to the city, the council refused to give its support. Instead, the town’s elected leaders voted to sign no agreements regarding the program.

The council’s action came after residents spoke out against the program at a recent meeting, but much of that opposition was based on misinformation, said Rick May, pastor of the church and a former Lawrence County deputy sheriff, and Tim Robinson, a church elder and former assistant county attorney.

The residents expressed concern that the Odyssey program would bring to Louisa drug addicts from as far away as Louisville. The very idea is absurd.

First of all, while the church has long-term plans to establish drug shelters for both men and women in the community that would house those battling their addictions, the program initially will offer outpatient spiritual and secular counseling as part of a proven program to help people beat their addictions. Odyssey will also serve as a clearing house to help families, businesses and the judicial system find residential program placement for people with addiction.

And the program certainly would not need to go as far away as Louisville or even Ashland and Huntington and Paintsville to find addicts in need of its services. “We’re not going to be bringing them in — they’re already here,” said May.

Those in need of the Odyssey are neighbors, friends and relatives of some of the most vocal opponents of what the church is trying to do. Not only are those addicted to prescription medications —primarily pain pills — endangering their own lives, but they are a major source of crime in the area.

Ask any law enforcement officer or prosecutor and he or she is likely to tell that the vast majority of the crimes in this region — particularly burglaries and thefts — are committed to feed the drug habits of the perpetrators. Those addicts will continue to commit crimes until they are arrested and thrown in jail, die from a overdose or kick their drug habit. Clearly, overcoming their addiction is the best of those three options, yet it is the one the Louisa city council opposed by snubbing Odyssey.

We do not know enough about Odyssey to pass judgment on it, but we do know that the spiritual aspect of it is something that has proved successful for generations for Alcoholic Anonymous and a number of other treatment programs for drug and alcohol addictions.

Does Odyssey have a high rate of failure? Probably. All alcohol and drug treatment programs have a high failure rate. Breaking a chemical addiction is not easy. However, those programs should be judged by their successes instead of their failures. If only 10 of every 100 addicts Odyssey attracts successfully conquers their habits, that is 10 fewer people who are out committing crimes to buy drugs.

Robinson and May said the council’s vote of no confidence will not deter them.

“They’re not going to stop our ministry. We’re moving forward,” Robinson said “... The whole reason we were founded here was the addiction to drug problem in the Big Sandy Valley. It’s been our mission ever since this fellowship started.”

Does anyone honestly believe there is not a critical problem with prescription drug abuse in this region? If so, they need to get their heads out of the sand and look around. The addict needing help lives down the street, not in Louisville.