Addicted in Lacey

Addicted to Painkillers and 'Out of Options'

Municipal Alliance Coordinator Heather Scanlon shares the story of her son's addiction and his road to recovery

Even members of the Municipal Alliance, a coalition that implements programs to assist in the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, are not immune from the grip addiction has on the community. Heather Scanlon’s son was 25 when the family realized and confronted his drug addiction. “I thought we were home free,” she said. In high school he was a member of the National Honor Society and he earned a college degree, receiving good grades. Scanlon has been the Municipal Alliance Coordinator for more than a decade, a member of the coalition since its inception in 1990, and as a member of the Parent Teacher Association, she was always active in addiction awareness. “So I’ve always done this, that’s the irony,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how …

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Red Night Out: Drug Abuse Hits Home in Lacey [VIDEO]

Nearly 800 people attended the township-wide event to educate the community on drug abuse

It started with marijuana, followed by pills; then cocaine and eventually heroin. Steve Willis’ son Mark had gone from being “wonderful” to only caring about his next fix. He had gone from boy scouts to a courtroom at just 14, as his father pressed criminal charges for possession of drugs, criminal mischief and theft. “If addiction is in my family, and all the madness that flows from it, it may be in yours,” said Willis at Lacey Township’s Red Night Out, an event created to educate the community on drug abuse. Willis, a local attorney, struggled to effectuate a meaningful consequence for his son. He tried punishment, talked to teachers and had family counseling. Nothing worked. “I thought I was a good parent. I mean, I am,” he said. “It …

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Township Nears Prescription Drop Box Installation

Police department waits for government approval of new policy for drop box that will be used to reduce prescription drug abuse in Lacey

The police department has received the prescription drop box and is waiting on approval by the township for its installation. “We currently have the drop box and are making arrangements for its installation in the lobby of police headquarters,” said Capt. David Paprota, Officer in Charge. “Its use is highly regulated so I drafted a comprehensive policy that is currently under review by the governing body.” For the past year, the Lacey Township Municipal Alliance has pushed for a prescription drop box as one method to keep drugs out of the hands of people who might misuse or abuse them. “We won’t solve the problem with the drop box but we hope they bring attention to the issue,” Municipal Alliance Coordinator Heather Scanlon said in …

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Symposium Aims to Raise Education and a Drug Free Community

A symposium on drug abuse will be held for parents and grandparents at the Lacey Township High School on Tuesday, Feb. 26

A drug awareness symposium for parents and grandparents will be held at the Lacey Township High School on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. “Raising Education and a Drug Free Community” is part of a series that aims to educate the township about drug abuse. “We hope to have everybody talking about it,” said Heather Scanlon of the Municipal Alliance, which is partnering with the Lacey United Methodist Church in holding the symposium. “We want it to be a big community effort.” Similarly to Red Ribbon Week, a drug prevention campaign typically celebrated the last week of October, the Municipal Alliance is hoping to “paint the town red” by having businesses and residents who support the campaign hang red ribbons outside. Each student in the school …

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Dinner Symposium To Shed Light On Youth Prescription Drug Use

Lacey United Methodist Church to hold a dinner symposium co-sponsored by Meridian Health

In an effort to draw awareness to prescription drug abuse among township youth, the Lacey United Methodist Church will be hosting a series of dinner symposiums for parents and patients starting on Thursday, Sept. 13. The Rev. Linda Applegate announced plans for a three-part program at August's Municipal Alliance meeting. Children & Youth Prescription Drug Use: The Unscripted Reality, co-sponsored by Meridian Health, will be the first of the series and aims to educate physicians most up-to-date information about drug abuse. "We decided we would hold this symposium and approach Meridian Health and Saint Barnabas health in trying to get them to offer continuing education units for the physicians," said Applegate, also a Task Force member. A …

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