Heroin Awareness Grows At Havre de Grace High School

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — Nearly 300 people at Havre de Grace High School took a stand against heroin this month as part of a growing effort to stave off the drug's use.

There were 287 heroin overdoses in Harford County last year, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

To serve as a tribute to overdose victims and to remind people of the problem, Havre de Grace Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) planted more than 200 red tulips earlier in the school year.

When the traveling "Face of Addiction" display was on campus recently, SADD organized an additional way to bring home the message of heroin's death knell. Part of the display includes The Conversation Tree, a tree with heart ornaments showing pictures of 29 Harford County residents who died from addiction.

The display was at Havre de Grace High School Feb. 20 to March 3.

In conjunction with the display, SADD solicited volunteers to wear t-shirts on March 1 that said "overdose victim." The volunteers agreed to stand for the entire school day as a way to raise awareness about overdoses.

There were 287 students and staff who volunteered, according to Harford County Public Schools.

"I hope that my fellow students realize how many more people are affected by this drug than they realize, and this is a way for us to show them how much this problem exists in our community," Havre de Grace sophomore Gracie Diveley said. "I joined SADD because I have been personally affected by drug and alcohol use...I think it is important to raise awareness for how heroin touches our school community."

Harford County launched a public awareness campaign in 2016, among other initiatives to combat the heroin epidemic, winning national recognition for innovation. Each week, the sheriff's office updates signs outside its offices to reflect the number of fatal and nonfatal overdoses in Harford County.

• Face Of Addiction On Display At Havre de Grace High School
• Gov. Larry Hogan Declares State Of Emergency Due To Opioid Crisis
• First Heroin-Related Fatality Of 2017 Reported Minutes Into New Year: Sheriff

Contributions from the community helped provide the shirts students wore at Havre de Grace High School. Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy staff Joe Ryan and Tara Lathrop funded a portion of the cost, while Keith Martinez of Classic Team Sports in Abingdon provided shirts and picked up the remainder of the bill, school officials said.

Photos courtesy of Harford County Public Schools.

Where to Get Help with Addiction

Maryland residents who need help can find substance abuse resources from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

People can also call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009.

If you know of someone who could use treatment for substance abuse, find treatment facilities by location and program characteristics.