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Alabama residents walk to fight drug addiction

About 120 residents of Alabaster, Alabama, joined in the first Heroin Overdose Prescription Elimination (HOPE) Walk at Veterans Park, to increase awareness of the growing drug abuse and addiction problem. Bradford Health Services, a local addiction treatment centre, and the Shelby County Drug Free Coalition co-sponsored the event.

“Any time that you can speak on substance abuse or alcohol abuse to a number of people, whether it be three or 500, you’re getting the message out one way or another,” said Rachel Lawley of Bradford Health Services.

Participants walked silently through Veterans Park, and then conducted a candlelight vigil. Several spoke about the effects of drug addiction on Shelby County.

“I think one of the driving motivations behind the HOPE Walk is that there are a lot of families that may not be personally involved with drug addiction and abuse, but they have been touched by addiction and abuse,” Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force Commander, Clay Hammac said. “This is an opportunity for those who are struggling and facing those challenges from loved ones or those who have touched their families to be encouraged by the community to find this network of folks to lean on, and for us to let them know that this is a fight that we’re all in together.”

Lina Evans, the Shelby County Coroner, said the county had 170 reported drug overdoses between 2011 and 2016.

Jan Corbett, the coordinator of the Shelby County Drug Free Coalition, said the HOPE Walk reminded the community of lives lost to drug overdoses and helped support families struggling with addiction.

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