St. Laurent: Heroin's Innocent Bystanders, Stifled Voices, Neglected Needs

By Marissa St. Laurent

My heart is heavy far too often when local headlines include yet another loss of a young life to heroin overdose. My heart sinks even lower when I read through the unfiltered reader comments at the bottom of those articles.

Many people will never understand addiction, unless they have lived through it personally or loved someone who has fought those demons. However, even if you cannot understand the choice to use drugs, even if you feel strongly that addiction is a choice, I have one plea – consider the innocent bystanders in this epidemic. Consider the children and families of those deceased, whose voices are stifled and needs are neglected by the communities they belong to.

Recently, a young woman I grew up with passed away at 20 years old after wrestling her heroin addiction. Upon hearing the news, I thought of the young, vibrant life that was lost. I thought about the hurt her family must feel. I thought about how easily her story could have been mine. I thought about the many ways in which our society had failed her. I thought about the toddler son she had left behind and his incarcerated father. I thought about the opportunities this young boy could have and how we, as a community, have a responsibility to offer him safe, stable and nurturing relationships.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse, the loss of a parent, addiction and incarceration can negatively impact the development and mental and physical health of a child. These events can actually disrupt and damage the structure of the developing brain. ACEs are not uncommon; 45 percent of children in New Hampshire have experienced at least one. In the Granite State, alcohol and drug abuse in the home is the third most prevalent ACE behind economic hardship and divorce. Children without the supports to cope and heal from these events are more likely to succumb to cycles of poverty, addiction and abuse as adults.

What if we treated addiction as a community issue? What if we asked our stressed-out friend if he needed anything? What if we asked our frazzled neighbor how she was doing and utilized constructive listening skills when she responded? What if we simply took the time to talk to people and ask how we could help?

We should be asking how we can support the mental health of people in our communities, including children impacted by substance abuse in their lives. How can we prevent the vicious cycle from continuing in our future generations?

To learn more about breaking the cycle and supporting families in your community, go to nhchildrenstrust.org/program/community-education.

New Hampshire Children’s Trust envisions a state where every child thrives in safe, stable and nurturing families and communities. We lead the drive to eliminate child abuse and neglect in New Hampshire.

Marissa St. Laurent is a communications assistant with the NH Children’s Trust.