Town Hall Discusses Heroin Epidemic and Treatment Options

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Last night the downtown Cedar Rapids Main Library hosted a follow-on Town Hall to discuss treatment options available to tackle the opioid and heroin epidemic facing the greater Cedar Rapids community.

To help raise awareness and to educate young people on the dangers of addiction, the FBI and DEA released the documentary Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict, a compilation of heart-wrenching first-person accounts by addicts and family members of addicts about their experiences.  This 49 minute film was shown.  A Q&A session followed with a discussion of drug treatment options from four service providers that are available in Linn County. 

The Eastern Iowa Heroin Initiative launched C.R.U.S.H. (Community Resources United to Stop Heroin), which is a community outreach initiative designed to involve schools, law enforcement, treatment providers, community leaders and health care organizations to address the growing epidemic.  This community response was recently initiated in Dubuque and Clinton counties.  Attendees were encouraged to join and told they could do so by texting “Heroin” to 51555.

United States Attorney Kevin W. Techau described the forum as a necessary step to address the heroin and opioid threat facing the community.  He stated, “The three-prong approach includes not only engaging treatment but includes prevention and prosecution, when necessary.”

To learn more about the Eastern Iowa Heroin Initiative, visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/EasternIowaHeroinInitiative.

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