Opioid addiction is prevalent in Sampson County no matter how much we wish it weren’t so. It’s a problem that has no prejudice, impacting those from every walk of life.
That’s why we, like the Clinton Police Department, believe it’s important for individuals to educate themselves to the problems and the potential solutions that exist.
Awareness is key.
The Police Department is tackling the problem through a series of educational messages designed to hone in on accidental overdoses associated with opioid abuse. And later this month, The Sampson Independent will provide its own educational series geared toward telling the stories of abuse, the path to recovery and the success stories from recovering addicts.
Starting next week, the PD will use social media as a forum to bring awareness to what they view as a growing problem with accidental overdoses associated with opioids, such as heroin and prescription painkillers like morphine, hydrocodone and oxycodone.
The awareness campaign will be conducted one week out of every month, providing a plethora of addiction-related problems.
We encourage residents to follow the Clinton Police Department’s Facebook page and take to heart the messages they are trying to deliver, painful as they may be to hear and believe.
Clinton and Sampson County are not immuned to the growing problems associated with the abuse of prescription meds. Addiction is rampant, and often is derived from painkillers found in just about any medicine cabinet. Unfortunately, the addictions to these type of meds often leads to abuse of illegal substances like heroin, a highly addictive and deadly drug.
And, statistics will show that addictions to these legal and illegal drugs often lead to accidental overdoses.
If it can be stopped, awareness is the first step, followed quickly by acceptance that there is a growing problem that only we, together can stop.