HOUSTON — On Tuesday, March 8, 2016, local Shelby County law enforcement and judicial leaders brought the fight of heroin addiction to the Hardin-Houston 7th to 12th grade student body.

Shelby County Juvenile Judge William Zimmerman, Prosecuting Attorney Timothy Sell, Sheriff John Lenhart, and Lieutenant Cori Steiner presented the dysfunction, devastation and probable early death of unsuspecting students who sample their first taste of heroin and become addicted.

Included in the presentation was a 31-year-old, formerly addicted, presently incarcerated, individual who attended the assembly in order to present his testimony of the terrors and heart-breaking battle of heroin addiction. This anti-drug idea was birthed from meetings that elected officials have every other month. From one of these meetings, as the topic of heroin was discussed, this idea of high school assemblies became a reality this year.

The thought was, if this generation could just say “NO”, then drugs sales and activity might begin to dry up in our area.

“I witnessed one of the most powerful anti-drug assemblies this afternoon, in my more than 20-year public education career. For about an hour and fifteen minutes, the students sat spellbound as they listened to Judge William Zimmerman explain the legal aspects of being involved in a drug addiction such as heroin and the gateway drug, like marijuana that creates the future appetite for heroin,” Hardin-Houston Superintendent Larry Claypool said.

Currently, Zimmerman stated that he has 16 heroin addicted babies wrestling with their mother’s addictions that is now become their addiction too. To give an idea of how overwhelming the financial costs can be, the medical tab to help deliver these 16 infants from their addiction has a higher cost than the judge’s annual budget.

Lenhart also stated during his presentation time that last year there were 144 children removed from their families and given to grandparents, aunts, uncles and other family members and government organizations due to drug addicted parents.

Last year the cost to local Shelby County taxpayers was about $600,000. Lenhart also shared that 95 percent of all prisoners have some form of Hepatitis from sharing needles. He also said, another five percent of prisoners are HIV positive.

The true force of the assembly, Claypool said, came from a young man in jail fatigues and sandals sitting quietly between law enforcement personnel. Daniel is a prisoner of the Shelby County Jail. For about 25 minutes, Daniel stood before the students and staff and emotionally shared a first-hand account of the dangers of drug addiction, mainly heroin and how that addiction, beginning at age 15 cost him the loss through death of 31 members of his family and friends, and 7-years of his own adult freedom.

He plead to the high school audience to never take that first taste of any drug. Fortunately for Daniel, he was able to get clean, because he has been in jail and has had the support of the sheriff and the rehabilitation services provided by the county.

Daniel explained that his habit went quickly from about $5 to $10 dollars per day to $120 per day in almost less than a month. He described the last fix never being quite high enough for the next hit. The tolerance fix always seemed to require higher doses. Daniel described his experience in three incarceration units, two county jails and one maximum penitentiary.

He depicted the brutality of prison life, the environment and culture where fights, emotional and mental abuse becomes a daily occurrence. He never felt safe, because only the strong survive there.

The Hardin-Houston assembly, was the fifth high school assembly of its kind this year. As the students departed the gymnasium, they gave a final standing ovation to Daniel. The whole student body encouraged him as he attempts another chance for a new life without addiction.

In commenting on the success of the assemblies, Sheriff Lenhart stated, “I really believe that we are in a leadership position on prevention and treatment of persons who are addicted to heroin.”

Lenhart also continued to express his support for all of the SRO and DARE officers in and around our county schools and how these law enforcement mentors will show great results for the invested dollars we, as local taxpayers are currently investing in our children.

Claypool said, all of us want to say thank you to the local law enforcement and judiciary officials for coming to Hardin-Houston and making heroin addiction real. It took one 31-year-old life to tell the tale. But, Daniel’s future success is another story waiting to be told. Stay tuned.