TODAY’S MODERATOR: Two views on drug OD’s

Here’s more reaction to Middletown City Council member Daniel Pickard’s suggestion that the city shouldn’t respond to drug overdoses.

Mike McManus: "Mr. Picard has valid points. I'm sure there are many valid reasons to continue rescuing people who have overdosed with Narcan. But, those drug addicts whose names become familiar to EMTs and paramedics through repeated overdose rescues shouldn't necessarily have the same response as those with valid reasons. You can't save people from themselves."

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Sandy Woodruff: "Picard is the most heartless and uninformed person. Yes, there is a huge problem - and yes, it costs lots of money. So find the money somewhere else in your budget because these are people we're talking about — not saving a tree or fixing crummy roads.

“Narcan is not treatment. It is a lifesaving drug. It cannot be compared to chemothereapy or bypass surgery. … And who does Picard think he is playing God? How does he get to decide who lives and who dies — who is worthy of saving?But there are thousands of people in recovery, no thanks to Picard … Picard is despicable and the reason more addicts in recovery don’t show their faces. They know the ridicule and disgust their revelation would produce.”

Email rrollins@coxohio.com.

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