Drugs are destroying society, but there’s hope

Drugs are destroying society, but there’s hope

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Over 100,000 Americans are dying every year from drug overdoses in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  That figure is more than Covid, and twice the number of people killed by guns and traffic accidents. 

There’s a serious problem in this country and that includes Philadelphia and Neshoba County. As recently as 2018, an estimated 21.2 million people aged 12 or older needed substance abuse treatment, but only 7.8% (1 in 13 people) received it. 

This scourge of drugs, along with the death and destruction that comes with it, has found a place right here at our doorsteps. And both you and your family are targets.

Of course, by now, most people have not only heard of the opioid crisis but also the outbreak of a newer, deadlier, opioid called Fentanyl. This opioid is 50x stronger than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine. Due to Fentanyl’s strength, small amounts of the drug can result in fatal overdose. Fentanyl is smuggled across the US-Mexico border in low concentration, high-volume loads, and kilogram seizures often contain less than a 10% concentration of fentanyl.

Mexican Transnational criminal organizations (TCO’s) are producing increased quantities of fentanyl and illicit fentanyl-containing tablets. Several of these TCO’s are using increasingly sophisticated clandestine laboratories and processing methods. These people have the capability of manufacturing pharmaceutical grade pills that look exactly like the regulated pills bought in any local pharmacy, but the street buyer has no idea if the product they purchase is laced with fentanyl or not. Many men and women have died because they unknowingly purchased fentanyl-laced drugs.

The addiction issues in our community mirror the nation. We are not exempt to the pain and suffering that is consistent with addiction to any kind of drug. We hurt over the loved ones that daily suffer in the enslavement of an illicit substance, or even those that are addicted to pills that are prescribed from legitimate medical sources. We grieve over the loss of that son or friend that recently died of an overdose. We fret over the constant employment and job issues that addiction creates. Sadly, addiction is so wide-spread that we all know someone that it has impacted.

The new numbers represent a two-fold increase in a single decade. More Americans died of drug overdoses in 2020 than perished in both the 3-year Korean conflict (40,000) and the 10-year Vietnam (58,000) conflict. That’s 98,000 deaths from combat conflicts that combined, lasted 13 years vs 108,000 people that died in 12 months from taking too much medicine. That is an astonishing statistic!

But there is hope. As I sit at my computer and write this article, I can think of three independent recovery programs in Neshoba County. With the many churches that now have recovery programs combined with a robust effort from local law enforcement, we are making progress towards at least curtailing this horrible epidemic that has caused so much distress in our community. I am so proud of the way our community is responding to this deadly epidemic. 

As I mentioned, we are blessed with a pro-active law enforcement leader in this fight against drugs in our county. I’ve worked closely with Sheriff Eric Clark since the spring of 2021, so I know first-hand of the passion and dedication he has to eradicate the illegal drug flow in our county. 

Recently, I sat down with Sheriff Clark and we discussed the current conditions of the drug problem and some of the solutions to solving those issues.

Barry: Sheriff, are you witnessing a positive impact that The River, The Arc, and other recovery groups are having in our community?

Eric: You folks are making a huge positive impact on this community. You see, we have an avenue of escape or something we can offer these people. when I was first elected sheriff, we had nothing to offer anyone struggling in addiction. The you came along and now The Arc, are providing the resources that are needed to make change. God began to open up opportunities for the people who had fallen victim to the grip of methamphetamine and other drugs. Now, when we make an arrest, we find that after 3-4 days after the affect of the drugs wear off, we discover that some of these folks are really good people. They have really good intentions, mostly, without The River, and without The Arc, there’s nothing else to offer them.

Barry: Sheriff, we work really hard at The River vetting these inmates to determine the right fit and to try the best we can to ensure they will stay the duration of the program. Sadly, some don’t make it, but we have gotten a lot of victories in this effort, haven’t we? We have established a good reputation with several treatment facilities all over Mississippi and that’s why its easy for us to secure so many beds so quickly. That’s because we do our homework before we place man or women, then the facility will always place us at the front of the line.

Eric: Let me put that in perspective for you, okay? Today, we have 39 inmates in other jails. 39! In our 66-bed facility in Philadelphia we have 86 prisoners, so we are 20 over census. Those 39 inmates are costing between $30,000 and $40,000 every month to the taxpayers of Neshoba County. So, if you break that down at $28/day x 30-days, which is what we pay to house inmates somewhere else, we are actually relieving the citizens of our county by giving these people a second chance. So, if a person is arrested on a possession charge, you know he’s not a flight risk, but he just can’t find the money to get out of jail. Now, if for some reason he’s allowed to go to rehab, the $28/day x 30-days (minimum) = $840 is what the taxpayers of our county are saving.

Barry: How many drug-related arrests did your department make last year?

Eric: In the last fiscal year, FY 2022, we made over 500 arrests. That means 500 different people were arrested. When we arrived in 2020, there was, on average, 51 inmates in our facility. Today that number is over 135.

As you can see, Neshoba County is blessed with a robust sheriff’s department and a leader that is pro-active in the fight against the flow of illegal substances coming into our community. It has been my honor to have been able to work and observe up close the dedication these men have to their jobs. They are true professionals in every sense of the word.

Don’t get caught up in that old trap that says, “I can get off these drugs by myself, I can do this alone.”  Many of those people are silent today because they are dead. Addiction plays for keeps. It steals, kills, and destroys. There is a solution. There is hope! Let us help you in the fight against drug and alcohol addiction.

If you need help or know someone who might be in trouble with methamphetamines, fentanyl, opioids, benzodiazepines, crack cocaine, alcohol, or anything else out on the streets, help is only a phone call away. Don’t suffer in silence. We can help you. The River is a recovery center that employs faith-based methods of recovery in all its classes and meetings. Today, our teachers and instructors have 77-years of combined sobriety! This past Sunday, The River celebrated five years of service to our community. Since October 30, 2017, we have placed over 600 men and women in residential treatment care, secured jobs for 255 people who have had a history of addictions issues, and witnessed 133 people make a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Joy and I are forever grateful to our community for your love and support over the years, and we are excited about what the future holds for The River.

Our purpose is to help people. All people, from every walk of life. It doesn’t matter to us what you’ve done or how often you’ve done it. I lived in an active drug addiction for too long. I spent 41 years, from my 15th birthday until I was 56 years old, in the solid grip of an opiate dependance that almost destroyed me, so I am a living testimony of redemption and sobriety. And there are many others just like me, men and women who have come through the pain, guilt, and suffering of drug addiction. If you are struggling with compulsive behavioral problems brought on by a drug or alcohol dependency that is destroying your life, understand that you are not alone. There is hope and it’s only a phone call away. We do recover!

Call Barry Walker today at either 601-917-1212 or 601-504-2917. Your call is confidential and so is your visit to our offices. Take this first step of regaining control of your life. You are only given one chance at this life, so make it count!






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