How bad is drug abuse in the Wood River Valley? Teachers, counselors, police and students are aware of it, so why isn't the general public?
One counselor comes at the issue with a highly trained eye. Greg Greenfield, 52, learned from his own harrowing experiences. Clean and sober for more than a decade, Greenfield remembers all too well what drove him to drink and do drugs.
Despite his past, for 35 years he's been a working contract carpenter. He has spent 20 of those years working around the Wood River Valley. For the last five years he's also worked as an aftercare facilitator for the Walker Center in Hailey, a drug and alcohol treatment center based in Gooding. It has similar aftercare programs in several Idaho towns.
"If they come out of the 28 day treatment, they have a follow up. That's with me," he said. Greenfield holds group meetings that are somewhat like an AA group but more organized, he said. His non-profit, Renaissance Alliance also deals with drug abuse issues and has facilitated drug awareness programs in the Magic Valley.
"Recovered addicts are the most dynamic people you'll ever meet," Greenfield said. "They've gone through such adversity. Sobriety is not the end of the road, it's the most useful tool for the rest of the road."
A bit of a contradiction, Greenfield lives simply on a large tract of land and looks like an old hippie with long hair neatly tied back. But instead of a mellow demeanor, he's infused with an intense energy, street lingo and a gazillion anecdotes. He also plays piano at the Tapestry Gallery & Wine Bar in Ketchum on the weekends, a talent he picked up in the last four years. His passion is engaging the people of Blaine County and to help addicts overcome the monkeys on their backs.
"This doesn't want to be a community labeled a drugs infested community, but it is. We live with a lack of drug awareness. We have smoking awareness, but not enough drugs awareness. In the past two weeks, I've seen two overdoses and two suicide attempts.
"I get a call the other day from a (adult) guy in a laundromat. While he's been sitting waiting to call me he's hit up by two different guys with balloons for sale."
A balloon, Greenfield explained is a $15 hit (enough for two) of black tar heroin about the size of a fingertip twisted up inside a mini balloon. These are smuggled in from Mexico.
However, the old image of the slumped over, drooling junkie with vividly mottled veins isn't what he's talking about.
"What we have here, adult-wise, are a lot of maintenance junkies. You're still an addict but you can get stuff done when you've got a buzz on."
In his position with Walker Center, he's been amazed at how the climate has changed here.
"That's what blows my mind. These kids are using addictive drugs. The dynamics have changed in just three years. Then it was alcohol, coke and too much marijuana. Not one person I knew was doing heroin.
"Now, I'm dealing with kids who're lacing strong marijuana with crystal meth or heroin and smoking it. They go along and pretty soon they're addicted. The thing that's got me most concerned is they're loading up on stuff that'll kill them. It's frying their brains. I get Humpty-Dumpty when he falls off the wall. We've got to keep Humpty-Dumpty on the wall."
However, Eric Thomas of the Blaine County Probation Department, said that in his office, while there are "quite a few drugs floating around here," they haven't seen an increase in heroin use.
"There was a heroin bust several months ago and people were using black tar then. Everybody's talking about it, but we're not seeing it reflected in our numbers. Why is this?
"As long as people have money you won't see an increase in petty crime, which happens when there is a demand due to a daily habit. You don't carry it on you. Same with meth."
A traffic stop won't necessarily turn up hard drugs, but will uncover marijuana paraphernalia.
"Do we have a problem? Any kid will say that they are exposed to drinking and marijuana. How do you get an accurate reflection of numbers? From arrests, but our citations haven't gone up that dramatically. However, just because the busts are less doesn't mean (drug use) is cured."
Sheriff's Office Detective Steve Harkins agreed. He was involved in the heroin bust in October 2005, and the subsequent bust of a smuggling ring in Boise.
"Any time we do an arrest it puts people into hiding. It's still around but not as prevalent. Methamphetamine is still the number one abused drug in the valley, along with marijuana and cocaine. It has been for years," he said.
If the schools aren't getting through and the cops are finding it, what can be done?
"DARE helps, educational programs help," Harkins said. "I've heard a lot of good things about the Walker Center and Kevin Boender. But it's a never ending battle."
Greenfield suggests parents and educators keep a look out for certain "triggers," such as when a child's performance, energy or interests change.
"We have to create positive relationships between parent and child. There are new paradigms that have to be established. Let's find it. I don't know why we can't change the rite of passage from getting drunk and getting high to something more inspiring and stimulating.
"We have to tell our children what I told my sons: 'If I had a wish to give you, it's that you have intellectual curiosity.' Find stimulating activities to do with your kids. Give them structure, love, build trust and keep the communication open.
"Life is 97 percent attitude, three percent what you run into. That's your choice. Being negative is just learned behavior. There are other learned behaviors like meditation, prayer and choosing the people you hang with. It takes deliberate actions. It's the difference between being a participant and being a seeker."
Youth substance abuse lecture scheduled
A youth substance abuse lecture and discussion is being held 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12.at the Wood River High School Distance Learning Lab in Hailey.
The featured speaker is Seattle physician and addictionist Dr. Lynn Hankes, who is certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Hankes will discuss medical aspects of adolescent alcohol and drug use, abuse and addiction. He'll also review national trends and recent research on the physical and emotional effects of currently popular drugs.
Valley panel members who'll discuss drug use here will be Amy Bailey of the Walker Center Residential Facility in Gooding; Kevin Boender of Project Respect in Hailey; Eric Thomas of the Blaine County Probation Department; Silver Creek Alternative School founder and principal Barge Levy, and a youth in recovery.
The moderator is Ed Siegel, an alcohol and drug abuse counselor.
The event is free. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact St. Luke's Center for Community Health at 727-8733.
