Around 300 people turned out in force Tuesday night to find out about synthetic drugs, how to deal with them and make a stand about getting them out of their community. The convocation, held at Huntington North High School, brought citizens, government officials, educators and law enforcement officers together to share and learn more about drugs commonly referred to as “spice” and “bath salts.”
The meeting was the culmination of Huntington County Sheriff Terry Stoffel’s efforts to educate the public about the dangers of the drugs, which are still sold legally over the counter in some stores in the county. The information shared was much the same as the meeting held Feb. 22 at The Awakening Church, when Stoffel called upon the county’s clergy to use their influence to combat the drugs. But many of those who came Tuesday had a more personal interest in the substances, which have become popular with children as young as fifth grade. Many had questions about the drugs' effects and signs to look for in their own children.
Jail inmates Phil Beeks and Joey Elser – dressed in prison garb and leg chains – answered many of those questions. Both men shared their personal experiences with the drugs and the effects they have had on their lives.
“This one kid (in jail), he thought his skin was leaking, and he thought that if he could eat off his skin he could keep getting high,” Elser said. “ … It’s nothing like marijuana.”
Elser, 24, who committed a battery at Deal-Rice Funeral Home while high on bath salts, likened the drug’s effect to methamphetamine. He said he was ashamed when he later found out the things he had done.
“If it wasn’t for bath salts I would have never done this in my right mind,” he said. “The severities of this substance as well as spice is life-threatening. It has taken two years of my life in the state penitentiary. I can only imagine what it did to Mr. and Mrs. Rice.”
Beeks emotionally expressed how drug abuse had ruined his life, resulting in him robbing, stealing and committing battery.
“We’ve all got to come together and keep this stuff off the streets,” he said. “ … If I can save one person’s life I’m happy, but I hope to save all of you all’s lives, because that stuff can cause brain damage, it can kill you. Take it from experience, because I’ve experienced it all.”
Huntington County Prosecutor Amy Richison said laws have been passed against synthetic drugs but manufacturers found a way to circumvent them by changing the compounds by a molecule or two and putting the drugs back on the market.
“What was happening is, the package of ‘Baked Goods’ you’re buying this week is going to have a different chemical composition than the ‘Baked Goods’ somebody buys two weeks later. They’re just tweaking them a little bit because most of the states have tried to ban these chemicals.”
Indiana lawmakers have passed a tougher law against the chemical compounds found in spice and bath salts and it is now awaiting Gov. Mitch Daniels’ signature. But Richison said such laws will likely only drive the synthetic drug traffic underground.
Gary Smith of Huntington, who is in the National Guard, said he had a vested interest in the information presented at the meeting.
“I’m one of the guys that does drug testing. Even in the military we have people that fail drug tests because of methamphetamines and other drugs too,” he explained. “I grew up in this town my whole life and have seen and heard about young kids – teenagers – that have done a lot of drugs, and seen a lot of people die because of it … People are starting to see that we do have an issue and we do have a problem in this town.”
Barbara Bidwell, teaches nursing at Indiana Wesleyan University, attended the convocation and said parents must take an active role in their children’s lives to fight the threat of drug abuse.
“You have to make sure you know who your kids are hanging out with and what they’re doing with those kids,” she said. “If a kid says to you, ‘I’m going to go sleep over at this kid’s house,’ you need to call that kid’s parents and verify that that’s actually what they’re doing … It’s about time that parents stepped up to the plate and took some initiative as to what their kids are doing.”
Jennifer Asher of Huntington brought her children, ages 10, 7 and 4 to the meeting. She said she came to learn about the effects of synthetic drugs as she wages her own battle against them.
“I’m going to school for this because of this town specifically, because of the ODs and stuff in this town, because it’s hitting my family personally,” she said. “I’ve decided to go to school because it’s hitting too close to home and I want to get something done. I want to be the one that helps somebody … I learned a lot tonight.”
There was some good news to report Tuesday after Stoffel called out four county businesses last month as selling spice and bath salts. Two of the four, J&B Food Mart in Markle and Pujo’s Oil (formerly Huggy Bear) in Warren have reportedly stopped selling the substances after customers made their feelings known. Two others – S.M.Okes and Brothers Oil (Phillips 66 station), both located on South Jefferson Street in Huntington – are still allegedly selling spice and bath salts. It was affirmation that standing together as a community has a great effect in the war against drugs.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do; a lot of education,” Stoffel said. “I promise you that everybody sitting up here among you, as these laws change our prosecutor will be right up on it telling us exactly how far we can take it, and what we can do to rid stores of this stuff as it progresses. We will be all over it, I guarantee it.”
Huntington North High School Principal Jeremy Gulley perhaps best summed up the feelings and determination of those in attendance.
“Shoulder to shoulder – both literally and figuratively – our schools and law enforcement community, our ministerial association, our pastors and churches have pretty much spoken with one voice,” he said. “This thing is a life killer; it’s a dream ender. These substances steal a place in our heart where hope should be, and these things interfere with all the dreams we have for our kids … Let’s share the message and prevent this thing.”