Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Meeting spotlights area drug problems

Pilar Armstrong El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

Cindy Rivera will never forget the fateful call that came from a stranger in the early morning hours telling her that her son, Anthony, was dead.

Although that call came five years ago, Rivera was able to recount the details of that night and the events that led up to it during a Monday, June 29, town hall meeting at Finley Gym.

After battling an addiction with methamphetamines , Rivera's son overdosed on painkillers in a Santa Fe hotel room. He had been drug-free for more than a year at the time of his death. The young man left behind his wife, 6-month-old son and a career with New Mexico Department of Game & Fish.

However, the after affects of meth took the ultimate toll on Rivera's son.

"Despite the fact that he quit using, he went through hell because of the affects of meth on his brain," Rivera said during her tearful town hall presentation.

At the height of Anthony Rivera's addiction, his family tried to get help for him for many years. Roadblocks — including cost-prohibitive treatment options — prevented the family from getting the help it needed.

Magistrate Court Judge Jim Naranjo offered his assistance and helped the family check their son into a treatment facility in Truth or Consequences. Three days after he was admitted, Anthony Rivera checked himself out and, according to his mother, returned to using.

More Inpatient Treatment Facilities Needed

Sadly, Rivera's story is not uncommon.

Many families in Socorro suffer from drug abuse. The mission of Monday's Town Hall Meeting - Do We Have a Problem or Not? — was to rally the support of the community in the war against drugs.

The meeting was divided into four speaker panels with a brief question-and-answer session after each panel. Socorro Mayor Ravi Bhasker's Drug Task Force hosted the two-hour affair. Socorro County Options for Prevention and Education Coordinator Bobby Jo McIntire wrote down suggestions and concerns from the 60 or so area residents who came to offer input and suggestions.

The most common concern expressed was the lack of inpatient treatment facilities in Socorro.

"There's a need for a residential treatment facility in Socorro County," panel speaker Pastor Tim Sawyer said. "Individuals are not going to get the stuff out of their system within 30 days."

Tammy Edinger — who serves as program coordinator for the Heritage Program for Senior Adults — said that research shows addicts who spend more than 90 days in treatment facilities have a higher rate of success than those who don't. Socorro County currently has two treatment facilities — Socorro Mental Health Inc. and Terra Luna Counseling Services Inc. — neither facility, however, offers inpatient services.

Fighting a Goliath

Speakers from the Law Enforcement Panel encouraged community members to get involved in the fight against drugs by sharing information with law enforcement agencies.

"We need help from you. If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood let us know," Socorro County Sheriff Phillip Montoya said.

Socorro Police Chief George Van Winkle gave a brief report on the amount of drug activity his department has seen. The city police — with the assistance of the Sheriff's Department — have already conducted 15 drug raids this year.

"The city has a problem. We're fighting a billion dollar business," Van Winkle said.

Despite the recent resurgence of heroin, the chief remains positive and believes that his department is making some headway.

Drugs in Schools

Members from both the Socorro and Magdalena schools gave reports on student drug use. Superintendent of Magdalena Municipal Schools Mike Chambers reported that 55.6 percent of all children in sixth through eighth grades admitted to using alcohol.

"The usage and types of drugs have changed," Chamber said. "We used to see a lot of marijuana, alcohol and prescription drugs. Now we see more coke (cocaine) and meth."

Socorro High School's Gilbert Peralta said a whopping 20 percent of high school students admitted to using marijuana. The information was obtained through a schoolwide survey.

Brighter Days Ahead

All speakers from the four panels believed that drug use could be eradicated by using a combination of prevention and education. Panel speakers encouraged parents to discuss drug use with their children.

Socorro City Councilor Ernest Pargas — also president of the SCOPE organization and a catalyst for Monday's meeting — offered some closing remarks.

"This is the start of a dialogue with the community ... it needs to be ongoing," he said. "Together we can change family norms and community norms."

parmstrong@dchieftain.com

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