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REGULAR MEETING February 25, 2019
<br /> also impressed with the security and the way they had the facility staffed and structured. I thought
<br /> it was very impressive. We have many other agencies such as Dismas and Life Treatment Center,
<br /> but unfortunately, we need more assistance. That is the reason why I am here today, to support
<br /> Choices Recovery and the work that they do.
<br /> Scott Leeper, 1518 North Byrkit Avenue, Mishawaka, IN, stated, Good evening, ladies and
<br /> gentlemen of the Council. I am absolutely in favor of the sober living facility on Jefferson by
<br /> Choices. I am the author of the book Johnny and Addiction: Sink or Swim that launches March
<br /> 27th. In this book, I talk about my dad's death. I took him off life support in 2012 and I watched
<br /> him take his last breath because of an alcohol addiction. Tonight, I want to share some statistics
<br /> with you. We have 325.7 million Americans in the US, right now. One (1) in ten (10) Americans
<br /> deal with a drug abuse issue. That is ten percent (10%). That also equates to 32.6 million people.
<br /> Statistically in this room of about one hundred and fifty(150)people,there are fifteen(15)people
<br /> sitting in this room,right now,that are dealing with a drug abuse problem. Everybody in this room,
<br /> as a result, as affected by addiction to some degree. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported
<br /> in 1999, there were 16,849 overdose deaths. In 2017, there were 70,237. That is an increase of
<br /> 53,388 people. That is a four hundred and sixteen-point-eight percent (416.8%) increase in less
<br /> than two(2)decades. Seventy percent(70%)of the addicts are gainfully employed and many rehab
<br /> facilities have executive rehab programs for those people of influence. Ten to fifteen percent(10%
<br /> - 15%) of dentists, no less, will deal with an alcohol or drug addiction in their lifetime. Just
<br /> recently, a dentist graduated from Choices. Professions with the highest addiction rate include
<br /> health care professionals at an estimated ten to fifteen percent(10%- 15%)as well. Sales, farming,
<br /> forestry, fishery, law enforcement, restaurants, and I personally was prescribed over twelve (12)
<br /> medications at the same time as a Marine by Naval Medicine. SAMSA, the Substance Abuse and
<br /> Mental Health Services Administration stated based on a combined 2009 and 2014 statistic report,
<br /> 8.7 million children live in a house where at least one(1)parent has an addiction problem. Annual
<br /> average, 1.5 million ages zero to two (0 — 2). That is twelve-point eight percent (12.8%) in that
<br /> age group. 1.4 million ages three to five (3 — 5). 2.8 million ages six to eleven (6 — 11). And 3
<br /> million ages twelve to seventeen (12— 17). In Indiana, according to the Indiana Health Center for
<br /> Recovery, one (1) in twenty(20) Hoosiers admitted to abusing opiates iates and that is under reported.
<br /> p
<br /> So, it is estimated at about one(1) in sixteen(16). Eighty-four(84) opioid painkillers are issued to
<br /> every one hundred (100) Indiana residents. A vast majority of heroin users started with a
<br /> prescription opioid. Almost all addictions start when the affected person is a teenager. The
<br /> Coroner's Office is running out of room to store the bodies, literally, stacking up. "I've never seen
<br /> anything like this. This is a disease that is actually causing people to die at a rate that I have never
<br /> seen in my twenty (20) years of conducting death investigations." That was said by Alfarena
<br /> Ballew who is the Chief Deputy Coroner of Marion County. She also says those numbers are
<br /> increasing. In St. Joseph County alone, according to addiction center dot corn, in 2015, the
<br /> overdose death number outnumbered fatal vehicle crashes and murders combined. Mostly, it was
<br /> heroin and opioid pain killers. That is fifty-nine (59) people. On that website, it stated that local
<br /> officials say these numbers are staggering but there isn't the typical response to these numbers like
<br /> there would be to say if the same number of people were shot and killed. So, ladies and gentlemen,
<br /> in support of this sober living facility, as the prayer at the beginning of this night stated, it is our
<br /> responsibility and I will add, our mission, to be good stewards of God's grace. Thank you.
<br /> Jennifer Knowles, 140 Bercado Circle, Mishawaka, IN, stated, I've been waiting my whole life to
<br /> do this. I'm not going to cry. Ms. Knowles provided a picture to the Council. Ms. Knowles stated,
<br /> I want to give you a picture of her, so you can see her. Hello. My name is Jennifer Knowles and
<br /> my sister Melissa was thirty-six (36) years young when she died from a fatal dose of fentanyl and
<br /> heroin this last July. My sister wanted to have a career. She wanted to be able to take care of her
<br /> daughter, Olivia, independently. She wanted to get married and have babies. In the twenty (20)
<br /> years my sister was fighting a hard addiction to opioid pills, then later became the cheaper and
<br /> easier drug heroin. I had about four (4) calls from her where she was crying. I'm dying, Jenny. I
<br /> can't do this anymore. I can't stop, and I have to get away. My body is tired and I'm tired of lying
<br /> to myself. Of course, my sister was not employed. Her full-time job was being a slave to heroin.
<br /> To say Melissa's options were limited would be the understatement of the century. My sisters and
<br /> I come from middle class family. We grew up in Granger. We played softball. We joined our local
<br /> Brownies squad and we all graduated from Penn High School. Although our parents divorced, we
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