Tom Szurlinski recently spoke to the Florence Rotary Club about the heroin epidemic in our community. Tom is an associate attorney with Taliaferro, Carran, & Keys, PLLC, in Covington, and practices in the areas of civil rights defense and personal injury. Tom retired as the Chief of the Florence Police Department in April, 2013, after 27 years with the police department. He is a graduate of Chase College of Law, and also has a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.
Tom attributed the rise in heroin usage as a result of the crackdown on prescription pills and the safeguards introduced to make pills harder to convert to powder. Heroin emerged as an alternative because it is cheap and readily available. Said Tom, “People are looking for a long term escape from reality and for relief from pain.”
In 2012, Northern Kentucky had 61 heroin overdose deaths. That is alarming, but the related health issues continue, too. For each of the 61 deaths, there is one new Hepatitis C case, one baby born with drug abuse syndrome, seven hospital related overdose treatments, and 22 new criminal cases related to heroin addiction. And the ambulance runs to treat victims of heroin overdoses means that the ambulance is not available to reach other people in need.
Tom continued, “People think heroin addiction doesn’t touch them, but our community bears the financial costs of the problem.” For example, the police have seen a tremendous increase in the number of thefts, shoplifting, and car damages as addicts look for anything to steal to pay for drugs.
During a recent Drug Takeback program in Florence and Boone County, over 500,000 lbs. of drugs were turned in. So treatment for those with addiction, and the safe disposal of drugs in our community, will continue to be an issue for many years to come.
Tom said, “People ask, what can we do to help?” He advocates increasing awareness and education for children and adults about the dangers of drug addiction, and providing treatment facilities to help with withdrawal and provide opportunities to break away from drug usage. Tom concluded, “Some people think the police should deal with these issues, but we cannot arrest our way out of this problem.”
