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Ihlenfeld talks about drugs in Brooke County

WELLSBURG – A federal court official attempted to shed light on why drug addiction has become such a problem in the Ohio Valley and West Virginia as he addressed a gathering of Brooke County school employees Monday.

William Ihlenfeld II, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, noted the state leads the nation, by a large margin, in its percentage per capita of deaths from drug overdoses.

As guest speaker in one of a series of staff development programs arranged by Superintendent of Schools Toni Paesano Shute, Ihlenfeld said the number of drug-related crimes in his 32-county jurisdiction also has increased.

“About 60 percent of our cases involve controlled substances, which is higher than the national average,” he said.

But he hopes teachers and other school employees can help him to curb that trend.

Ihlenfeld said the Columbiana University National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse has found young adults who reach 21 without smoking, abusing alcohol or using illegal drugs are very unlikely to abuse such substances later in life.

“If kids can get to that age, they probably are going to be OK,” he said.

Ihlenfeld said one problem is youth are being exposed to alcohol and drugs at an earlier age.

Studies have shown 35 percent of 15-year-olds in the U.S. have had at least one alcoholic drink and nearly 5 million Americans, ages 12-20, have engaged in binge drinking, he said.

Ihlenfeld said a Gallup poll found West Virginians of various ages lead the nation in the use of mind-altering drugs when nicotine and alcohol are included.

He said he’s found the young offenders he’s encountered often turned to drugs to fill a void in their lives or avoid a personal problem.

“They (drugs) make them feel better temporarily,” Ihlenfeld said.

He said unfortunately, teens are both more likely to take dangerous risks and to become addicted because of the level of their brain’s development.

Ihlenfeld noted the New England Journal of Medicine has reported scientists believe marijuana use may impair such development, impacting learning, memory and other functions.

He said at a time when there’s a push for the legalization of marijuana, many claim it’s not a gateway to other more harmful drugs. But he said most illegal drug users he’s encountered have reported using it first.

Ihlenfeld said today’s marijuana is much more addictive than it was 30 years ago.

“It’s even different from what I saw when I became a prosecutor in the 90s,” he said.

Ihlenfeld said the unknown nature of illegal drugs also is a danger.

To maximizes their profits, drug dealers have mixed their heroin with sugar, starch, powdered milk and painkillers. He said some heroin users seek a variety mixed with the painkiller fentanyl because it’s said to be more powerful though it also has caused deaths.

Ihlenfeld said to hook local users quickly, drug dealers have distributed a variety of heroin that is 94 percent pure, compared to the 20 to 30 percent purity of the average heroin sold, and that has contributed to a rise in deaths from overdoses.

“You never know what you’re getting. It isn’t tested in a lab (before it’s sold),” he said.

Ihlenfeld said his office and other law enforcement agencies have had some success in prosecuting dealers.

He cited dealers who have been sentenced to 10 years in prison and others who face life sentences for providing drugs that led to people dying from overdoses.

Ihlenfeld said fortunately, most teens don’t use illegal drugs, but he hopes talks by him and others at schools and other events will help to curb the recent rise.

He said Monday’s program was the first time he’s been asked to address a group comprised solely of school personnel.

Ihlenfeld said teachers often see youth more than their parents and may be the first to notice signs of drug addiction.

“This is a great opportunity to speak to people who are on the front lines,” he said.

Ihlenfeld also spoke about potential negative effects of social media.

He said comments or images posted by teens on social media sites, even remarks from others they have re-Tweeted, have been cited as grounds for denying acceptance to some colleges and elimination from consideration for scholarships.

Ihlenfeld said sexting, the electronic transmission of sexually explicit photos, can result in criminal charges being filed even against juveniles when other minors are involved.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

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