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Addiction problem a moving target

Local law enforcement officials have already let us in on a little secret — the substance abuse fight has evolved. Opioids are no longer the heavy hitter; meth has returned.

But for those wondering whether that is simply a Washington County trend, the folks near Cincinnati are offering confirmation.

And this time, the meth comes complete with synthetics that make it more powerful and addictive.

“We’re always one step behind. And the reason is because they’re the ones putting it out on the streets and we have to react. Cartels aren’t calling us and telling us what they’re gonna do,” Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan told another media outlet. He is also the co-chair of interdiction on the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition. “…One drug is popping up. That goes away. Another drug pops up. This goes away,” he said.

In other words, the massive effort to react and find solutions to what many are still calling the opioid crisis may be getting outmaneuvered. In the time it would take this enormous, lumbering ship, which is still in many ways aimed at a problem as it existed in 2015, the drug market will have already moved on.

That is why it is so important to continue with efforts to truly, honestly examine our culture, our society and addiction itself.

“None of (the drugs) burn out,” Synan said. “They all smolder and then reignite sooner or later. This is a country that is struggling with addiction, as a whole.”

There is no less work to do to tackle that problem of course, no matter the drug of choice. But we must all remember to be flexible, rather than patting ourselves on the back for catching up to a substance that had already lost its luster with many addicts.

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