Heroin use is on the rise in Ventura County, with a spike of cases found in Simi Valley. The prevalence of heroin addiction is often connected to prescription pain medications. Due to easy access of obtaining a prescription for opiates such as OxyContin, we are seeing a higher demand for heroin on the streets, which offers the same high, only more intense and at a much cheaper price.
75% of heroin overdoses that occurred in Ventura county from January 2010-March 2012 were found to be white males between the ages of 16-30 years of age.
Simi Valley residents have responded to this epidemic affecting young males by forming a Task Force to come up with heroin addiction prevention strategies . The Task Force is comprised of two representatives each from the Simi Valley City Council, the Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Education, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District Board of Directors, and Not One More, and one representative from the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Task Force will be holding public meetings over the next few months to hear about programs and strategies for combating drug abuse, and will be preparing a report with recommendations on the issue.
To get involved or get more information, please visit http://www.simivalley.org and search for heroin task force.
Additionally, Regenerate Films has partnered with Not One More to educate, intervene & prevent heroin addiction. Susan Klimusko created Not One More, www.notonemore.net as a way to guide parents and children to a path free of devastation, incarceration and death and lifts those struggling with addiction to a place of recovery and peace. Susan hopes that this Simi-Valley based organization can become a role model for others in the USA by working with city leaders, traditional media and social networking platforms. Voice America interview with Susan Klimusko titled “heroin sucks”.
If you or a loved one is addicted to prescription drugs or heroin, please seek help. There are many resources available in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, assessment intervention resources at www.air.com is a great liaison between people in need of treatment and hundreds of state licensed treatment facilities. Here in Ventura County you can contact the Ventura County Department of Mental Health at vchca.org.
If you have any questions regarding drug or alcohol treatment resources available to you or a loved one is facing drug related criminal charges, please contact me: Attorney Jeffrey Vallens (888) 764-4340 or (818) 783-5700 or email me at vallenslaw@yahoo.com.