Opioid Crisis Prompts Law Enforcement, Libraries To Embrace Experimental Solutions
A controversial program in western Massachusetts designates a wing of the county jail for court-ordered addiction treatment for men who have not committed a crime. Meanwhile, a number of libraries nationwide add social workers to their staffs to help the growing number of patrons with drug addiction or mental illness. In other news on the drug epidemic: an alleged online opioid drug dealer goes on trial.
The Associated Press:
Region Hit Hard By Opioids Embraces Jail-Based Treatment
As western Massachusetts struggles with a dramatic spike in fatal overdoses, officials are embracing a controversial solution: sending men who have not committed any crimes to jails and prisons for court-ordered addiction treatment. Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi has designated a wing of his jail for the treatment of men civilly committed for substance abuse reasons. It’s the only facility in western Massachusetts housing the men, and just one of three in the entire state for men. (Marcelo, 8/9)
The Associated Press:
Librarians Facing New Tasks Say Crisis Isn't In The Catalog
As libraries nationwide contend with a surge in patrons seeking refuge in the stacks because of poverty, drug addiction or mental illness, a growing number of institutions have social workers on staff. It’s the latest step in an evolution that libraries have been dealing with for years as homelessness and the opioid crisis reach emergency levels and patrons have come to rely on libraries as free, safe spaces open to all. (Swenson, 8/9)
The Associated Press:
Alleged Online Opioid Drug Kingpin To Stand Trial In Utah
As America’s opioid crisis spiraled into a fentanyl epidemic, prosecutors say one young Utah man made himself a drug kingpin by creating counterfeit prescription painkillers laced with the deadly drug and mailing them to homes across the United States. Former Eagle Scout Aaron Shamo, 29, will stand trial beginning Monday on allegations that he and a small group of fellow millennials ran a multimillion-dollar empire from the basement of his suburban Salt Lake City home by trafficking hundreds of thousands of pills containing fentanyl, the potent synthetic opioid that has exacerbated the country’s overdose epidemic in recent years. (Whitehurst and Galofaro, 8/12)
