Highway patrol responds to opioid problem with education

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is working to better educate the public about opioids and heroin to “bridge the gap” between law enforcement and public health.

“This is not the war on drugs, this is a public health crisis,” Sgt. Scott White said. “This is not something we are going to be able to arrest our way out of.”

Under the program the patrol will provide educational presentations about the issue on request.

The number of fetanyl cases worked by the patrol’s crime lab jumped from 40 in 2011 to 469 in 2017.

White said it’s important for people to understand how opioid abuse begins. He said many heroin users start by misusing prescription painkillers.

“They had a wisdom tooth taken out or they had a back injury,” he said. “They were prescribed a prescription pain killer and eventually that evolved into heroin.”

White said painkillers, although they are prescribed, are opioids similar in effect to heroin.

“We see many times that’s how drug abuse begins,” he said. “It begins with a lawful prescription for a legitimate problem.”

The patrol is working to educate schools, families and medical personnel about opioids and heroin to combat the opioid epidemic.