Our first Mid-Ohio Valley discussion in Parkersburg drew about 50 people, half of which were in recovery. Community members gathered at the Boys & Girls Club, and over the course of 2 hours, shared their experiences with addiction and identified possible local solutions. One community organizer said there was a feeling of being heard and respected–which can be rare for people who have struggled with substance use. Rich Walters, an Addiction Treatment Specialist, told the Marietta Times that it’s time for communities to consider multiple, and perhaps unconventional, pathways to recovery. He emphasized recovery won’t look the same for everyone.
Many communities members also agreed that addiction has completely changed the town they remembered growing up in, especially as jobs became harder to find and pills were easy to come by. Their pain, loss, and sense of hopelessness became a money-making industry, and once trapped in that cycle, it became hard to get out. Attendees also pointed to technology, saying our cellphones can isolate people, easily connect them to drugs, provide an escape from reality, and distract kids in school from drug education initiatives. When asked to consider local ways to address these issues, they wanted to see drug use treated as an illness rather than a crime, and more reporting on the success stories of people in recovery.
To view all the ideas, personal stories, solutions proposals, and questions for journalists written by the participants, download the event report.