Heroin Addiction: A Battle Not A Choice
Drug Crisis in Our Backyard is a non-profit organization in Carmel, NY which offers education and opportunities which requires taking serious actions for families and individuals struggling with addiction.
This non-profit organization was founded by Carol and Lou Christiansen, and Susan and Steve Salomone in 2012 after both families lost their sons to a long battle against heroin. After the news of the deaths of the two boys reached the community members; both families received overwhelming responses from the community and they realized they weren’t alone in this. Several individuals are still struggling with heroin addiction and they aren’t informed about the treatment options and support they have available.There are many stigmas attached to heroin addiction and it makes it hard for people to seek or ask for help. The Christiansen’s and Salomone’s said, “We can not just let our son’s die and not do anything.” The two families decided to create Drug Crisis in Our Backyard and they explained that there is an immediate need for organization like this one in every community. Susan Salomone said the mission statement of the organization is, “to bring awareness to the rampant use of heroin and opioids in our community, so when we started this there was no awareness.”
After three successful years of Drug Crisis in Our Backyard they decided to join and work with the Dutchess County Addiction Awareness Prevention and Support organization. Both organizations made that decision in order for them to expand their work in handling the local addiction epidemic and to have a tremendous presence in their communities. The organizations provide various resources and support groups. Some of the support groups are Family Support Group, Grief Recovery After Substance Passing, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Parents Helping Parents. Some of the resources they offer are Early Intervention Program, Narcan Training, Outreach, Public Service Announcements. Lou Christiansen expressed that both of the organizations offer these services in order “to promote awareness about drug use, assist addicted and at risk individuals and their families, and implement measures, including legislation, that holds accountable organizations and medical institutions that perpetuate drug use through over-prescription of opiates and other drugs.” Drug Crisis in Our Backyard has both Hotline and HopeLine available for all the individuals who need it.
