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The Prevalence of Drugs in Conejo Valley
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department Deaths continue to occur. The hospitals and self-help centers are full of patients who have overdosed on drugs or filled with patients who are in need of treatment. Police continue to regularly respond to teens and young adults who have overdosed on illegal and prescription drugs. Prescription pills and heroin abuse have increased in many communities throughout the United States, and the reason may surprise most people. Many of the young people who find their way down a spiraling path toward opium addiction begin their perilous journey in a medicine cabinet at home. Most prescription pain medications derive their potency from opium and they are easily accessible both at home and on the street because they are being commonly prescribed to treat many ailments. The transition from pills to heroin is common given that heroin is relatively cheap and its increasing tolerance with addictive qualities. The physical and psychological need to maintain the addiction is the bridge that leads from prescription pills to heroin. The communities in the Conejo Valley are no exception to this growing problem. There were 26 heroin overdoses reported in Thousand Oaks and the surrounding unincorporated areas between Jan. 1, 2009 and March 15, 2011. Four of those cases resulted in death. There were 245 arrests related to heroin abuse during the same time period. Of those arrests, 197 of the cases involved people between the age of 16 and 25. Unfortunately, the cycle continues. Ventura County has seen 3 more deaths within the past month related to the overdose of heroin or prescription drugs. A 22 year-old female from Fillmore overdosed from heroin as well as a 21 year-old female from Simi Valley. A 25 year-old male from Hidden Valley overdosed from prescription drugs. On Wednesday, April 27, officials from law enforcement, the medical field, and the behavioral health community will host a forum that is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about this disturbing trend in our community. Any parents, who have middle or high school age students, and their children, are wholeheartedly encouraged to attend. In addition to the panel of professionals, there will be members of the community to share their experiences of how prescription drugs and heroin have affected and changed their lives. Public and private organizations that treat behavioral and physical illness caused by drug addiction will also be present to answer questions and help those who seek assistance. Anyone with expired or unused prescription drugs can properly dispose of those items in a bin that will be provided at the event by the Thousand Oaks Police Department. Location: Westlake High School’s Carpenter Family Theater |
