Harford to Hold Heroin Town Hall

Harford County leaders are holding a town hall meeting on heroin to address an issue officials say has been a growing problem.

The Sept. 9 gathering in Bel Air will include informational presentations and an opportunity for citizens to share their experiences with addiction.

“Many of us have known the private heartbreak brought on by heroin,” Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said in a statement.

“As a community, it’s important that we come together to understand the problem and our efforts so far to address it,” Glassman said. “We know that there is no single solution, but by combining forces, we can better protect our children and our families from this terrible scourge.”

In 2014, there were 23 people who died from heroin-related overdose deaths in Harford County, according to state health data.

So far, there have been 18 fatal heroin-related overdoses and 91 nonfatal overdoses, Harford County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Andersen told Patch on Aug. 26.

• Harford Sheriff Gives Overdose Data, Asks for Help
• Bel Air Man Indicted for Heroin Distribution

The upcoming town hall is sponsored by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Glassman and the HOPE for Harford work group.

Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said he founded the HOPE work group earlier this year to look at the county’s heroin problem and “find new and inventive ways of stamping out heroin addiction.”

On the agenda for the heroin town hall meeting:

• Overview: Gahler and Glassman will give an update on the status of the heroin epidemic and how county agencies are combating it.
• Education: Director of the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy Joe Ryan will present a look at heroin addiction in depth.

There will be a Q&A with these panelists:

• Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler
• Harford County Executive Barry Glassman
• Harford County Addiction Services Director Beth Jones
• Harford County Task Force Captain Lee Dunbar
• Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy
• Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Canavan

The town hall meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Harford Community College, Darlington Hall, 401 Thomas Run Rd., Bel Air.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office will live stream the event on Twitter and post a recording of the meeting online.

Photo Credit: DEA.