Brown County residents have much to be proud of. A rural county made up of some charming villages rich in history, communities that lack high rates of serious violent crimes, and good public school systems that help to make it a great place to raise a family. But like other counties in Ohio, Brown County isn’t without its troubles. Among the biggest problems Brown County faces today is drug addiction.

Not only does substance abuse disorder affect those addicted, but it impacts the county as a whole. Along with illegal drug activity comes an increase in other types of crimes in communities such as thefts, break-ins, and sometimes violent crimes.

With an alarming number of the criminal cases coming through the Brown County Court of Common Pleas over the past year involving possession or trafficking in illegal drugs, the high number of drug-related cases have put quite the load on our county court system.

Those who work at local substance abuse treatment facilities are facing an uphill battle while dealing with the high number of drug addiction cases, and those at Georgetown Behavioral Hospital and other local treatment facilities are doing what they can to help battle drug addiction and spread awareness of a problem that Georgetown Behavioral Hospital Outreach Specialist Brandon Hinson said has become an epidemic for Brown County.

“It’s definitely hit epidemic numbers,” Hinson said of the drug addiction problem in Brown County.

Brian Gray, administrator at Georgetown Behavioral Hospital, said more awareness needs to be spread about the ongoing problem with drug addiction in Brown County, and the overwhelming number of drug addiction cases they are seeing in the county are definitely cause for concern.

“I would say it’s off the charts,” Gray responded when asked how big of a problem Brown County has with drug addiction.

While a solution may sound like simple economics – take away the demand and there will be no need for a supply – winning the battle against drug addiction is much more complicated. But there are places in the county where help can be found for those suffering from substance abuse disorder.

“Addiction is a disease and should be treated as such,” said Gray. “It’s important that the community as a whole continues those destigmatization efforts, making sure when we’re talking to folks about this kind of problem that it is put out there as what it is; it is a disease, a medical issue that we can treat, and that people can get better.”

Georgetown Behavioral Hospital is a for-profit, privately owned facility in Georgetown that offers inpatient psychiatric services as well as dual diagnosis, offering treatement for those suffering from mental illness and substance use disorder. Among the services it provides is a detox program.

An average stay at Georgetown Behavioral Hospital is usually around 14 days, followed by outpatient services that are provided.

“Our role is to detox the patient, if they are in need of that, and psychiatrically stabilize them,” said Gray.

According to Gray, approximately 80 percent of the patients coming into Georgetown Behavioral Hospital suffer from co-occurring disorders such as depression and drug addiction.

The opioid crisis has led to a significant number of new patients for Georgetown Behavioral Hospital in recent years, and criminal charges for possession and trafficking of fentanyl and heroin still appear quite often in Brown County grand jury criminal indictments. Alcohol detox is also common at the Georgetown Behavioral Hospital. But there is one form of drug addiction they’ve been seeing more often at Georgetown Behavioral Hospital in recent months – methamphetamine.

“There’s been a huge rise in meth, especially over the past three or four months,” said Gray.

Methamphetamine possession and trafficking have made up the majority of the criminal drug cases in Brown County for 2022, and the meth cases have been on the rise in recent months.

Of the nine indictments handed down by a grand jury in the Brown County Court of Common Pleas on Dec. 15, six involved methamphetamine.

Of the 25 indictments for the month of November 2022, 17 involved methamphetamine.

The News Democrat recently reached out to Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis to find out just how bad the meth problem has grown to be in Brown County.

“During 2022, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and Brown County Drug Task Force witnessed an increase in the investigation and seizure of crystal methamphetamine, commonly referred to as ‘ice’,” Ellis explained in a statement issued to The News Democrat. “Crystal methamphetamine is a processed drug. It is commonly processed in Mexico and is illegally transported across the southern border of the United States. Once in the United States, crystal methamphetamine flows into cities and urban areas where it is then disbursed to more rural areas. It is more potent than methamphetamine which was often locally produced or ‘cooked’ using locally available components in the past.”

According to Ellis and information provided by Brown County Prosecutor Zac Corbin, the meth problem in the county today is not from meth that is manufactured inside the county.

“During 2022, neither the Brown County Sheriff’s Office nor the Brown County Drug Task Force investigated a case of local Methamphetamine production,” said Ellis.

From January 1, 2022, to December 10, 2022, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office opened 24 crystal methamphetamine investigations and the Brown County Drug Task Force opened 20 Crystal Methamphetamine investigations. Crystal methamphetamine was the most common Schedule II drug investigation initiated by both the Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Task Force.

Crystal methamphetamine is also being found much more often by village police departments throughout the county.

Contributing to the recent rise in meth cases has been the significant drop in the cost of the drug.

“The street cost of crystal methamphetamine has dropped in the last 12 months. The cost ‘highpoint’ of an ounce of crystal methamphetamine was $1,200. The cost for that same ounce today varies from $450-$250. This reduction in cost is based upon the increased availability of the drug,” Ellis explained in his statement.

Highly addictive, crystal methamphetamine addiction can occur after just one use.

“It’s an extremely addictive substance, so I think people just get hooked on it really, really easily,” said Gray.

Georgetown Behavioral Hospital receives referrals from local hospitals, clinics, and sometimes law enforcement agencies; but its staff members want to encourage those in need of help with drug addiction to not be afraid to reach out to them.

If you know someone suffering from substance abuse disorder who isn’t willing to seek help for their addiction(s), Gray said communication is key. Getting a person to admit they have a problem is among the first steps in helping those suffering from drug addiction, and support from family and friends can go a long way in the treatment process.

Georgetown Behavioral Hospital is located at 425 Home Street, Georgetown, OH 45121. They can be contacted by phone at (937) 576-8012 or (937) 483-4933.

For more information, visit the Georgetown Behavioral Hospital website at https://www.gbhoh.com.

The public can continue to assist law enforcement by reporting suspected drug activity to the police by the numerous reporting methods available through email or The Brown County Sheriff’s Office phone tip line. Drug activity that is occurring should be reported to the Brown County Dispatch Center at (937) 378-4155. You can report drug activity anonymously by calling the Drug Tip line at 937-378-2573.

You can also “submit a tip” online at the Brown County Sheriff’s Office website: https://www.browncountyohiosheriff.us.

This story is part two of a three-part series on drug addiction in Brown County by Wade Linville (editor of The News Democrat, The Ripley Bee, and The Brown County Press).