Guest column: Experts discuss dealing with heroin abuse epidemic

A new study shows that half of all Americans have a friend or family member who is or has been addicted to opioid drugs. Some of the problem is the result of over-prescribed medication by the medical community. Some is the result of the inability of young people to cope with the daily pressures of life, and they seek to self-medicate. Still others join gangs and turn to a life of crime, a culture rich with the abuse of drugs of all kinds. Whatever the cause, the problem with opioid addiction, which includes heroin and prescription pain killers, has grown to epidemic proportions in America in spite of the best efforts of law enforcement and behavioral scientists to turn the problem around.

The so-called war on drugs was launched in 1971 by then-President Richard Nixon. It has been going on for more than 45 years, and many politicians are pointing to the increase in heroin addiction as evidence that the war has been a failure, saying it’s time to try something else. Some are calling to legalize all drugs and focus on education, diversion and treatment, saying it’s cheaper and more effective. Others believe we need harsher penalties for drug abusers, not leniency. As with any complex problem, however, there are no simple solutions. If the problem is to be solved, it is going to take a multifaceted approach.

Drug overdoses have surpassed traffic crashes as the No. 1 cause of accidental deaths, and the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more Americans were killed from drug overdoses in 2014 than any other year on record. The problem continues to grow. Options and challenges to deal with the growing opioid abuse epidemic will be the topic of the next Columbia Basin Badger Club as we line up three experts who will update us on efforts in the Northwest to get a grip on the problem. Speakers are:

▪ Tracy Simmons of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Simmons is the assistant special agent in charge of the Seattle district. His responsibilities include Eastern Washington and all of Idaho. His focus will be on the need to interdict the supply of illegal drugs coming into the U.S. until something is done about reducing the demand.

▪ Dr. Jennifer Bailey, a Senior Research Scientist at the Social Development Research Group at the University of Washington. Bailey is doing research to better understand the causes of substance misuse and problem behavior in children, adolescents. She says understanding how these behaviors arise can help in the development of programs aimed at preventing these costly problems.

▪ Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg, a 37-year veteran of the Kennewick Police Department and a strong advocate for supervised diversion and treatment as an alternative to incarceration.

The drug abuse equation is simple in one sense. Eliminate the demand and the supply will dry up — problem solved. But until the demand for illegal drugs is reduced, federal agents will continue their efforts to intercept drugs that flow into this country and take such a horrendous toll on our families and friends. Behavioral scientists will continue to search for diversion and treatment techniques in hopes of keeping drug abusers out of the court system, and local officials will follow the law while supporting alternatives to incarceration.

This story was originally published July 24, 2016 at 5:58 AM with the headline "Guest column: Experts discuss dealing with heroin abuse epidemic."