LOGAN — As Hocking County continues to fight the growing drug epidemic, the local 317 Board and law enforcement agencies have combined their efforts for the sixth annual Hocking County Opiate Town Hall meeting scheduled for Oct. 4 at the Logan-Hocking Middle School.
A public event for all ages, the Town Hall meeting provides an opportunity for law enforcement agencies, the local 317 Board, and other organizations to raise awareness, share what is being done, and educate the public on what they can do to help.
“Last year, guest speaker Sam Quinones who authored Dreamland presented the history of the opioid epidemic, its creation, and how it has impacted the pharmaceutical industry,” Bill Dunlap, 317 Board Deputy Director, said. “This year, we wanted to look at the next step, which is how it impacts families and communities. Sam traveled with D’Anne Burwell on occasion, and it seemed like a perfect follow-up.”
D’Anne Burwell is a national award-winning author who penned Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home, a personal story about how her son’s heroin addiction affected the entire family.
A mother of two young adults in Silicon Valley, California Burwell holds a Master’s degree in education and is the winner of the 2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award in Memoir, the 2016 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award, and the 2015 USA Best Book Award in Health for her work. She now advocates for families struggling with substance abuse through radio commentaries, parent mentoring, and speaking engagements such as the Town Hall meeting.
“I never set out to write a book, it just sort of happened,” Burwell explained. “I was so consumed in the day to day battles that I didn’t realize until the end that I even had a book. But once I did, I realized that this was a story worth sharing.”
Her journey began in 2010 when Burwell pieced together the information she had of her son’s first year in college at the age of 19, and his struggles that led to discovering his addiction to heroin.
“It started with OxyContin and a few occasions of marijuana in high school, but when he got to college he started trying more and then became addicted to heroin. He was extremely thin, he was struggling financially, and he had a cough that would raise the hair on any mother’s head; I knew something was wrong,” Burwell shared.
Before her son became involved with opioids, the author confessed that she didn’t know much about addiction, or believed that it could happen to her family. When it did, she quickly began to educate herself by attending support groups and reading what she could find.
“When I was reading everything I could get my hands on, there wasn’t anything about what it is like for a parent or family of someone addicted. There were lots of things written by recovering addicts, but nothing about what it is like for the family,” Burwell stated.
The book focuses on what the family experienced as a unit, as well as individually. It includes how each family member dealt with the addiction and its consequences while also sharing what helped, what didn’t, obstacles they faced, and offering hope for the future.
“Anyone can become addicted, and it’s life changing for everyone around them, as well,” Burwell said. “But people can and do recover from addiction, and there is hope for the future.”
Although the mother of two didn’t expect the book to do as well as it has so early, she is excited for the opportunity to spread awareness and offer hope for families and individuals in the same situation.
“There is still a stigma and shame associated with addiction — it’s a very isolating thing for everyone it touches. I was surprised how it nearly killed me to go through this with him. So when I was able to look around, I found so many people like me, and I knew that by telling my story, I could help others,” the author noted.
In the two years since the book was released, Burwell has traveled across the United States to speak, and participated in a number of events to discuss the opioid epidemic.
To prepare for the upcoming event in Logan, Burwell shared that she continues to read many news articles about the opioid epidemic in the State of Ohio.
“It’s a common story that should resonate with a lot of people, unfortunately, so I hope to see a good mix of people for this event,” Burwell said. “Whenever I speak, I hope to raise awareness by bringing the topic out to the open. I offer suggestions, and share the hard-won knowledge I’ve learned.”
By sharing her family’s story, Burwell hopes the audience will gain compassion and empathy for the lives that are touched by the disease of addiction, and that they are encouraged to learn more and seek help, if they need it. In the long-term, she hopes to be placed on the New York Times Bestseller’s list so more people will have access to the resource.
“This is just one family’s story of what addiction does — what it can do to anyone — and I hope that it hits home with people, that we are just a normal family going through this, and that I can offer the resources I have to help,” Burwell remarked.
“We hope that the people of the community will come and somehow be touched by hearing her story, as well as the message of what a family did together to address the issue, and what they have done since then with their community and others,” Dunlap said.
Books will be available for purchase prior to the event during a book signing that will begin at 5:45 p.m., as well as a second signing following the event.
Those interested in reading Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home before the town meeting may contact Bill Dunlap at the local 317 Board office by calling 740-385-3317 to arrange purchasing a copy early.
“Last year we had between 450 and 460 people attend, so we’re hoping for just as good of a turnout for D’Anne,” Dunlap said. “By having the book signings, people also have a chance to meet D’Anne and speak with her and have a book signed; it should be a good evening.”
For more information about Burwell or Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home, visit www.savingjakebook.com.
The Opiate Town Hall meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.; doors open at 5:30 p.m.
A public event for all ages, the Town Hall meeting provides an opportunity for law enforcement agencies, the local 317 Board, and other organizations to raise awareness, share what is being done, and educate the public on what they can do to help.
“Last year, guest speaker Sam Quinones who authored Dreamland presented the history of the opioid epidemic, its creation, and how it has impacted the pharmaceutical industry,” Bill Dunlap, 317 Board Deputy Director, said. “This year, we wanted to look at the next step, which is how it impacts families and communities. Sam traveled with D’Anne Burwell on occasion, and it seemed like a perfect follow-up.”
D’Anne Burwell is a national award-winning author who penned Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home, a personal story about how her son’s heroin addiction affected the entire family.
A mother of two young adults in Silicon Valley, California Burwell holds a Master’s degree in education and is the winner of the 2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award in Memoir, the 2016 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award, and the 2015 USA Best Book Award in Health for her work. She now advocates for families struggling with substance abuse through radio commentaries, parent mentoring, and speaking engagements such as the Town Hall meeting.
“I never set out to write a book, it just sort of happened,” Burwell explained. “I was so consumed in the day to day battles that I didn’t realize until the end that I even had a book. But once I did, I realized that this was a story worth sharing.”
Her journey began in 2010 when Burwell pieced together the information she had of her son’s first year in college at the age of 19, and his struggles that led to discovering his addiction to heroin.
“It started with OxyContin and a few occasions of marijuana in high school, but when he got to college he started trying more and then became addicted to heroin. He was extremely thin, he was struggling financially, and he had a cough that would raise the hair on any mother’s head; I knew something was wrong,” Burwell shared.
Before her son became involved with opioids, the author confessed that she didn’t know much about addiction, or believed that it could happen to her family. When it did, she quickly began to educate herself by attending support groups and reading what she could find.
“When I was reading everything I could get my hands on, there wasn’t anything about what it is like for a parent or family of someone addicted. There were lots of things written by recovering addicts, but nothing about what it is like for the family,” Burwell stated.
The book focuses on what the family experienced as a unit, as well as individually. It includes how each family member dealt with the addiction and its consequences while also sharing what helped, what didn’t, obstacles they faced, and offering hope for the future.
“Anyone can become addicted, and it’s life changing for everyone around them, as well,” Burwell said. “But people can and do recover from addiction, and there is hope for the future.”
Although the mother of two didn’t expect the book to do as well as it has so early, she is excited for the opportunity to spread awareness and offer hope for families and individuals in the same situation.
“There is still a stigma and shame associated with addiction — it’s a very isolating thing for everyone it touches. I was surprised how it nearly killed me to go through this with him. So when I was able to look around, I found so many people like me, and I knew that by telling my story, I could help others,” the author noted.
In the two years since the book was released, Burwell has traveled across the United States to speak, and participated in a number of events to discuss the opioid epidemic.
To prepare for the upcoming event in Logan, Burwell shared that she continues to read many news articles about the opioid epidemic in the State of Ohio.
“It’s a common story that should resonate with a lot of people, unfortunately, so I hope to see a good mix of people for this event,” Burwell said. “Whenever I speak, I hope to raise awareness by bringing the topic out to the open. I offer suggestions, and share the hard-won knowledge I’ve learned.”
By sharing her family’s story, Burwell hopes the audience will gain compassion and empathy for the lives that are touched by the disease of addiction, and that they are encouraged to learn more and seek help, if they need it. In the long-term, she hopes to be placed on the New York Times Bestseller’s list so more people will have access to the resource.
“This is just one family’s story of what addiction does — what it can do to anyone — and I hope that it hits home with people, that we are just a normal family going through this, and that I can offer the resources I have to help,” Burwell remarked.
“We hope that the people of the community will come and somehow be touched by hearing her story, as well as the message of what a family did together to address the issue, and what they have done since then with their community and others,” Dunlap said.
Books will be available for purchase prior to the event during a book signing that will begin at 5:45 p.m., as well as a second signing following the event.
Those interested in reading Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home before the town meeting may contact Bill Dunlap at the local 317 Board office by calling 740-385-3317 to arrange purchasing a copy early.
“Last year we had between 450 and 460 people attend, so we’re hoping for just as good of a turnout for D’Anne,” Dunlap said. “By having the book signings, people also have a chance to meet D’Anne and speak with her and have a book signed; it should be a good evening.”
For more information about Burwell or Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home, visit www.savingjakebook.com.
The Opiate Town Hall meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.; doors open at 5:30 p.m.