Community supports drug court participants

“There are just too many people dying.”

Sunday through Tuesday night three forums were hosted in Parkersburg, Belpre and Marietta inviting diverse groups to the table to discuss addiction, its causes, impact and potential solutions.

That was the lament from moderator Doug Oplinger, with Your Voice Ohio, as he hosted one of the Your Voice MOV events over the summer.

When The Marietta Times agreed to participate in the Your Voice MOV project, it was out of a sense that our community must throw out the old ways of dealing with the substance abuse crisis that has gripped it — we must do anything we can to tackle the problem.

Now, the first participants are making their way through Washington County’s new drug court program, and we are making a choice. That choice is borne partly out of the memories of those who talked to us about the stigma associated with drug addiction and attempts at recovery, and partly out of consideration of the advice of professionals.

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