By Marty Trese, KnoxPages.com Editor
MOUNT VERNON – The drug problem in Knox County is bad. Knox County Common Pleas Court Judge Otho Eyster termed it a “crisis” when he spoke Thursday afternoon to the members and guests of the Knox County Republican Women’s Club at The Alcove restaurant.
Knox County Common Pleas court judge Otho Eyster spoke about the local drug crisis at The Alcove Thursday before the Republican Women’s Club – KP Photo
Eyster has worked in public service for 40 years, the last 31 as Common Pleas court judge where he has dealt with drug offenders for decades. He will be leaving the bench at the end of the year.
He laid out grim statistics on the severity of the drug crisis. He has seen a lot of substance abuse cases over the years. In the late 1970’s the substance abuse cases were mostly due to alcohol. Over the years the drugs of choice that were landing people in his courtroom were marijuana, cocaine, and now methamphetamine and heroin.
The current problem is illustrated by what has happened in nearby Mansfield, Ohio last month. On August 7, there were 51 overdoses and three deaths. On August 10, there were nine overdoses in 40 minutes, on August 12 there were nine overdoses. Through August 18 of 2016 there have been 18 fatal overdoses in Mansfield – a total of 12 last year.
Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol have confiscated 118 pounds of heroin this year. That compares with 304 pounds total confiscated over the last six years.
While Eyster did not provide statistics on overdose deaths in Knox County for this year he did say the drug problem here is “worse than ever.”
“If you incarcerate every person in Knox County who has sold drugs in the last year, we would still have no shortage of drugs in two weeks. Drugs will find there way here,” said Eyster.
Eyster says the crisis is not the fault of law enforcement – citing the fact that police do not have the manpower or the resources to stop the influx of drugs.
Those who are found guilty of drug offenses and sent to jail are not cured of drug addiction. And Eyster says, “Going to jail is not a deterrent to heroin use.”
He said, “The drug crisis needs to be addressed as a public health issue not a criminal justice issue. Drug addiction is a disease.”
