As heroin deaths mount here, group takes action

NORTH CANAAN — Some 85 people came to the North Canaan Town Hall on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 3, for a forum on drug addiction in the Northwest Corner sponsored by a new group, the United Coalition of the Northwest Corner.

Organizer Brain Ohler said the group is comprised of local residents, business owners and anyone interested “in a brighter future.”

The area is “reeling from an unfortunate epidemic of drug overdoses and deaths,” he said — particularly among heroin users.

He said the drug is inexpensive, readily available, and of sufficient quality that users can smoke it or snort it and experience the effects, as well as using the drug intravenously.

Ohler said the state medical examiner counted 355 “accidental intoxication” deaths in 2012, but in the first six months of 2015, the count was already up to 315, with the total projected to be 650.

Trooper Dave Collins, the interim resident state trooper in North Canaan, said that the State Police “are aware of what’s going on” and are conducting investigations in the Northwest Corner.

The problem with arresting low-level dealers, he said, is “we get someone off the street and someone comes right in to take his place.”

Asked about the cost of heroin, Collins said a single dose (a “bag”) is between $5 and $10.

Unlike possession of small amounts of marijuana, which is treated like a traffic ticket, any amount of heroin, or heroin residue on drug paraphernalia, warrants an arrest.

Collins was asked several questions about what citizens can do.

“We need everyone’s help,” he said. Timely and specific information is the most useful.

“You know the norms” in Northwest Corner towns, he said. So if a car that doesn’t belong to the neighborhood keeps turning up, it might be a good idea to get a license plate number and a description of the driver.

Asked if it is illegal for citizens to conduct surveillance, Collins was cautious, saying people can shoot photos or video as long as they don’t break the law.

People cannot break into a suspected drug house, for instance. The police may be able to arrest the dealer, but the citizen will also get arrested.

Collins said people can call the resident troopers in Salisbury or North Canaan at their respective town halls, or call the Troop B barracks’ non-emergency number at 860-824-2500.

People can even call 911 if there is an urgency to the situation.

There is also a text message tip service, which is anonymous, at 274637 (enter TIP711 plus your message). 

Terry Dougherty of Mountainside Treatment Center said that the age of involvement with drugs is getting younger and younger. Mountainside is doing outreach programs, not just in high schools, but in elementary schools as well.

“The issue is prevention,” he said.

Steve Langley, Mountainside’s executive director, said that the “vast majority” of drug addicts are also dealing with co-occurring mental disorders.

“This is a social issue as much as a legal issue.”

Asked how to reach parents who did not come to the meeting, Langley said that parents developed a program at Northwestern High School, using social media, to establish “safe home zones.”

Cynthia Flint, outreach coordinator at High Watch Recovery Center in Kent, also emphasized prevention.

She said that addiction is often a result of being curious and/or a method to self-medicate an underlying issue such as anxiety or depression. If the behavioral health aspect is addressed at the same time as the substance abuse issue, there will be a better chance for success.

Skip Kosciusko shared his personal story with addiction. He said he has been clean for 25 years, but when he was an active addict, he went from working as a nurse to holding up his employer with a hand gun. Kosciusko said that as a result of getting into recovery, he went from being unemployed to becoming an active member in the community. He noted the importance of finances and funding to help people with addictions, and urged people to call their state and local officials to bring awareness to the drug issue.

Jessica Derr contributed reporting to this article.