St. Bernard Community Coalition has formed with a goal of reducing illegal drug use in the parish and to help users find treatment programs

A new group, the St. Bernard Community Coalition, has been formed with a goal of reducing illegal drug use in the parish and help users find treatment programs.

“We’re here to save lives,’’ said Coalition Chairman Dan Schneider, a pharmacist whose son was a victim of drug-related violence

A 12-member board of directors has been chosen, consisting of a cross-section of parish leaders and interests.

Included on the board are Schneider, Sheriff James Pohlmann, Parish President David Peralta, Schools Superintendent Doris Voitier, Barbara Manuel, Justice of the Peace and long-time community activist in Violet; Pastor Otto Martin, Coroner Dr. Bryan Bertucci, Floyd Gue of the Meraux Foundation, sheriff’s Maj. Chad Clark, head of the Special Investigations Division which includes narcotics enforcement; Berridel J. Johnson, retired Postal Service employee and an ordained pastor; Joseph DiFatta, former Parish Council Chairman, Chairman of the Parish Economic Development Foundation and board member of the Chamber of Commerce; and Kenny Zulli Sr. of The St. Bernard Parish Post weekly newspaper. There are also two alternates – school system administrator Charles Cassar and Kerry Poche Sr., supervisor of the community service work program operated by the St. Bernard Parish Probation Office.

Also, Polly Campbell, former Clerk of the Parish Council, retired teacher and activist in parish beautification efforts, was announced as the professional program director for the Coalition, which is a part-time position.

Schneider also announced the Coalition has been awarded a $50,000 federal mentoring grant to begin basic operations to build on, including to help acquire further resources. “We have a great board, with many key players as well as many more interested parties,’’ he said.

A priority will be to make it easier for parents of abusers or abusers themselves to find and afford rehabilitation programs.

In a statement on the forming of the Coalition, Schneider said, “We are proud to announce the formation of St. Bernard Community Coalition, Too many have suffered death or destruction of productive lives due to drug-related tragedies and crime.

“This must be curtailed, just as surely as the effects of coastal erosion have to be addressed for this parish to have a base to stand on. Our inability to act in a cohesive manner on drug abuse has not helped our community’s well-being, nor our economic recovery.

“Our schools are performing well, even great in many ways, but the community is hurting due to drug abuse and accidental overdose deaths. As Sheriff Pohlmann has pointed out, drug use leads to property crime as users look for ways to get money to continue using. In sum, if we get a handle on drugs we lower crime and save people from destroying not just their lives but the lives of their family members who love them.

“Our main goal of the St. Bernard Community Coalition is to get all involved in the solutions necessary to reduce this plight. We are all in this together. We can be Life-Savers.

“We, with the support of all interested parties, will make concerted efforts to reduce the drug problem, particularly with adolescents of St. Bernard. Their brains are not fully developed and real short-term and long-term damage occurs with drug use/abuse, which includes under-age alcohol use.

“A long-range goal is also to make St. Bernard more attractive to its current residents as a good place to live and raise a family, but also to attract newcomers and grow our middle class. We believe this effort will help keep our best and brightest here and will attract a new generation of St. Bernardians who will learn our culture and help our community achieve its hopes and dreams. We believe our efforts will lift all boats.

“We must remember, even in the darkest of tunnels, we can be the light at its end. We call this the “Tunnel of Hope.”

“It will take some time, effort, and perseverance; but with God’s help anything is possible. For the frustrated who can’t see the light, we must remember this old statement: How do you eat an elephant? Answer – one bite at a time!

“We need to work, hope, and pray that our efforts will lead our community forward in a continuing positive direction.”

The Coalition board also has approved a resolution to work toward a drug-free community that it wants to distribute through schools, churches, businesses and the rest of the community. The resolution stresses the importance of parents and other parish residents focusing on trying to reduce drug abuse through educational efforts, re-habilitation treatment for users and prison time for drug-dealers.

“We are asking the community to participate in a commitment to work towards a drug-free community,’’ Schneider said.

Coalition officials have met twice to lay the groundwork and a common thread among members’ opinions was the need for more resources for information and education for parents and St. Bernard youth, primarily in our schools at all grade levels. Also discussed was the positive and negative influences of parents and how environmental factors can be barriers to progress in reducing drug use.

Members said they want efforts at treatment of and recovery from drug abuse, along with compassionate yet firm enforcement of narcotics laws to make St. Bernard Parish a more desirable place to live. Sheriff Pohlmann has stressed users deserve a chance for rehabilitation but drug-dealers need prison time because they will destroy lives purely to gain a profit.

Here are the points of the Community Coalition resolution that has been approved:

“We commit to the following:

“Because alcohol, a drug, and other drug abuse in our parish and nation has reached epidemic stages (nationally 133,300 premature drug-related deaths a year or 1 death every 4 minutes), and the 15-24 year old age group is dying at a faster rate than any other age group, and

“Because drug abuse and addiction is a primary cause for most of our community’s crime, many of our accidents, destruction of productive lives and family tragedies, and

“Because we are all in this together, our community will increase prevention and education efforts to reduce the demand for drugs. We will support the efforts of the Sheriff’s Office to seek rehab for drug users and prison for drug-dealers. Parents will be included and be motivated to talk with their children about the dangers of drug use.

“Our schools, with help from police and our community, will lead our efforts by improving drug education and prevention, by embedding lessons throughout grades 1-12, and

“Because the biggest jump in the risk of teen drug use occurs when a child moves from middle to high school, we will put special emphasis on 9th grade. We will cover understanding drugs and the biological and psychological destructive effects they cause on a developing brain, the reasons teens try drugs, understanding drug addiction and its consequences, non-violent conflict resolution, personal and social responsibility.

“Also, along with traditional efforts to educate and encourage students to remain drug-free, we want them to become advocates against drug use and give them anonymous ways to report drug use or dealing and other criminal activity to help parents, teachers, or police reduce destruction caused by drugs. They will be considered heroes for this.

“We will not tolerate drug abuse and/or dealing and as adults we will report drug activity, drug-dealing and all criminal activity and consider such actions to be heroic. Everyone can be a Life-Saver.

“We will encourage and support drug addiction treatment programs, drug courts for those whose criminal activity stems from drugs, rehab in and out of jail and other measures to help those addicted return as welcome, productive community members.

“Therefore, we as a community commit to be Life-Savers and will work towards a drug-free community. Our efforts are important. With God’s help, we can save lives, reduce crime and accidents, lower insurance costs, improve our quality of life and increase our property values. The life you save may be your friend, student, your child, grandchild, or even yours, Remember, we are all in this together. Participate. Be a Life-Saver.’’