Perception must change

To the editor:
Like most Walking Dead fans, we always wondered how the zombie thing began.
The writers of the show answered our question by creating a new show Fear of the Walking Dead. After watching the show I was a little confused but I think it all started from a mutated street drug that was changing users into the walking dead.
What does this have to do with Jay County? Well, while our children are not changing into the walking dead but they are changing into people we don’t recognize. A child who was once happy and bright becomes moody and no longer seems to be the person you know and love because of drug use. We need to be able to recognize those changes so we can help. The changes can be physical, behavioral or health.
Physical changes: Messy, shows lack of caring for personal appearance, poor hygiene, red, flushed cheeks or face, track marks on arms or legs (or long sleeves in warm weather to hide marks), burns or soot on fingers or lips (from “joints” or “roaches” burning down), clenching teeth, smell of smoke or other unusual smells on breath or clothes, chewing gum or mints to cover up breath, frequently breaks curfew, cash flow problems, locked doors and secretive phone calls.
Behavioral changes: Change in relationships with family members or friends, loss of inhibitions, mood changes or emotional instability, unusually clumsy, stumbling, lack of coordination, poor balance, sullen, withdrawn, depressed, uncommunicative, hostility, uncooperative behavior, deceitful or secretive, makes endless excuses, disappearances for long periods of time, school- or work-related issues, truancy or loss of interest in schoolwork and loss of interest in extracurricular activities, hobbies or sports.
Health changes: nosebleeds, runny nose not caused by allergies or a cold, frequent sickness, sores, spots around mouth, queasy, nauseous, vomiting, wetting lips or excessive thirst (known as “cotton mouth”), sudden or dramatic weight loss or gain, skin abrasions/bruises, accidents or injuries and depression. If you notice any of these changes think twice before shrugging them off.
Drug use is at an all-time high across the nation, not just here but everywhere. The Centers for Disease Control says heroin use is at epidemic levels and young people 18 to 25 are falling prey. Between 2002 and 2013 nationally, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013.
Those suffering from addiction need help and love, not condemnation. If you notice a drastic change in a friend or a loved one call the Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition (housed at the Portland Police Department) at (260) 726-7161 for information on how to help your loved one change back to the person there were before the drugs.
As parents, teachers, friends and family we have to change our perception that drugs are not a problem in our community. How do we fight this problem? We have to work together before it gets even more out of control. Open lines of communication need to be established. Talk to your friends, their friends, the clergy and counselors, but start talking so we can save lives.  We should be doing everything in our power to make sure that our children receive the help they need to remain walking and not dead.
Cindy Denney
Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition