[Regarding “Local Organizations Update Buncombe on Opioid Response,” Oct. 12, Xpress:] Opioid, heroin, crack, fentanyl and meth, etc. — all destroying lives and inflicting damage to our communities. With that being said, our community needs to have a plan for dealing more effectively with these lost souls.
One solution: Once arrested, our legal folks need to either mandate time in lockup or mandatory rehab for users and strict time for dealers. This must stop, or it will get worse!
—Barry Shoor Asheville
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7 thoughts on “Letter: More effective plan needed for drug problems”
Taxpayer
Are you kidding? Our DA doesn’t even prosecute serious crimes. Expect crime to get worse until this clown is sent packing.
1
westworldemployee7
I’ve met former addicts with free housing and food stamps, but no monitoring. They do nothing all day and, inevitably, start doing drugs again. There’s no path to sobriety and employment and, perhaps, higher self-esteem. What a waste of money. Where are their social workers?
Mike
Mass incarceration is a failed strategy. Mandatory “rehab” would not be effective. No “social worker” or any human can force another person to make meaningful change unless they want to. Determining how to help individuals overcome past traumas, socioeconomic circumstances, the physical disease that is addiction, and so many other factors that contribute to substance use challenges might be the more effective strategy here. It is also a strategy that takes time, money, patience, and the understanding that recovery is a process that often includes failing and trying again. There is no easy button.
Grant Millin
The old “This is your brain on drugs.” / “Just say no to drugs.” messages were not amazing in retrospect. However, explaining the costs of using Illegally Manufactured Fentanyl (IMF) and what a deadly business it is as to the traffickers is part of deterrence.
I have challenged City of Asheville and Buncombe County Government leaders to produce PSAs where they are personally on camera sharing what they expect from IMF traffickers and users. The LTTE writer is correct that something definitive has to happen and our public officials get to take that stance.
indy499
LOL, you’ve challenged our keystone cops council. PSAs for methheads and heroin/fentanyl junkies. How could that not turn it around?
Where you been man? They only do proclamations that don’t have anything to do with their actual responsibilities.
Shultz!
No ‘easy’ button indeed. Not everyone can be (or wants) ‘helped’. Those are what make this so hard. Dunno, reminds me of Old Yeller…sad
kw
Those nasty Grove Park fire-fightin’ opioid-slingin’ tourists from Florida…
Are you kidding? Our DA doesn’t even prosecute serious crimes. Expect crime to get worse until this clown is sent packing.
I’ve met former addicts with free housing and food stamps, but no monitoring. They do nothing all day and, inevitably, start doing drugs again. There’s no path to sobriety and employment and, perhaps, higher self-esteem. What a waste of money. Where are their social workers?
Mass incarceration is a failed strategy. Mandatory “rehab” would not be effective. No “social worker” or any human can force another person to make meaningful change unless they want to. Determining how to help individuals overcome past traumas, socioeconomic circumstances, the physical disease that is addiction, and so many other factors that contribute to substance use challenges might be the more effective strategy here. It is also a strategy that takes time, money, patience, and the understanding that recovery is a process that often includes failing and trying again. There is no easy button.
The old “This is your brain on drugs.” / “Just say no to drugs.” messages were not amazing in retrospect. However, explaining the costs of using Illegally Manufactured Fentanyl (IMF) and what a deadly business it is as to the traffickers is part of deterrence.
I have challenged City of Asheville and Buncombe County Government leaders to produce PSAs where they are personally on camera sharing what they expect from IMF traffickers and users. The LTTE writer is correct that something definitive has to happen and our public officials get to take that stance.
LOL, you’ve challenged our keystone cops council. PSAs for methheads and heroin/fentanyl junkies. How could that not turn it around?
Where you been man? They only do proclamations that don’t have anything to do with their actual responsibilities.
No ‘easy’ button indeed. Not everyone can be (or wants) ‘helped’. Those are what make this so hard. Dunno, reminds me of Old Yeller…sad
Those nasty Grove Park fire-fightin’ opioid-slingin’ tourists from Florida…