It is time we had a talk about heroin.
This is a conversation we need to have as a community.
Some frightening statistics were reported early this month by Beacon Journal staff writer Nick Glunt:
• 338: the number of emergency calls for overdoses in Akron alone from July 5 to Aug. 4.
• 323: the number of emergency calls from overdoses in Akron alone Jan. 1 to July 4.
• 79: the number of people who died from overdoses in Akron alone this year.
• 27: of those 79 deaths, 27 were from July 5 to Aug. 4.
Those numbers do not include all the communities that make up our county — Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Green, Hudson, Stow and the rest. That is just in Akron.
Authorities blame the spike on carfentanil, a drug similar to heroin but used to sedate large animals in zoos, for the increase in the number of calls and deaths in Akron over the past month.
What can we do about it?
We can start by admitting we have a problem and talking about it.
That is why we at the Beacon Journal are leading a community conversation about our heroin crisis. Only by talking about this issue can we move toward solutions. And the numbers show that solutions are needed desperately.
We are planning a public conversation about heroin in our community for Thursday, Sept. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron. There will be a presentation from a panel and time for your questions and participation.
We also have created an event on Akron Beacon Journal Facebook page (http://bit.ly/2bjjIEr) to let people know about the Sept. 1 discussion.
To start the conversation, we will have some stories starting next Sunday that look at the heroin problem in our community and the search for possible solutions.
In the meantime, we are asking for your help. What questions do you have about heroin? What do you think we need to do to address this problem?
Share your thoughts by sending them to editor@thebeaconjournal.com.
This in an important conversation for our community.
Join us.
Bruce Winges is editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at 330-996-3858 or bwinges@thebeaconjournal.com.