Heroin and Homelessness

It is all over the newspaper and the TV news. Heroin use in the Mahoning Valley is at epidemic proportions. This can be seen by the rash of overdoses that have been reported. Just this week, the Youngstown Vindicator keyed in on one of a series of panel discussions being held in Warren, OH. Warren (in Trumbull County) is just to the north of Youngstown and makes up part of what is considered the Mahoning (River) Valley.

According to the Trumbull County Coroner's office, five people died of drug overdoses between March 1 and 7... Sixteen people are believed to have died from drug overdoses so far in March. The county had a record high 104 overdose deaths in 2016 after a record number of 87 in 2015.

The numbers for Mahoning County are similar. The clear implication is that we are in an epidemic situation. These numbers reflect overdose fatalities, they do not reflect non-fatal overdoses, nor do they begin to address the total picture of heroin use, most of which does not result in overdose.

One of the questions most frequently asked of us concerns this crisis. People wonder how this serious problem impacts what we do at the Mission. This is a good question, but it shows that there is some confusion about the homeless population and about what we do at the Mission.

In the first place, heroin use is not the primary contributing factor in those who experience homelessness, at least as far as national surveys indicate. Granted, homelessness is often secondary to substance abuse, but it is one of many contributors. It is inaccurate to think that a spike in local heroin use translates into an unusual increase in the Mission's population.

Secondly, the Rescue Mission is not a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center. We are not equipped to medically treat individuals with chronic substance abuse issues. Certain kinds of detox require medical monitoring. The Mission is an emergency overnight shelter, not a medical facility.

Here is the bottom line: for the past 4 years, our overnight population has been at 120+, well before the current heroin issue. The reasons for this increase are many and varied. Yes - we do minister to people who are fighting addictions, but we also provide services for children, families, and single individuals - those who may be considered the "working poor" - those who need an opportunity to recover from an unexpected, life-altering event.