Heroin use increasing in Knox County

MOUNT VERNON — Heroin use is increasing, and small-town cities like Mount Vernon are not immune. That is the message Dave Culbertson wants to get across to youths and parents in rural America.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 10:33 amand is filed under story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

  • dirt rider

    I wouldn’t be too hard on Mr Culbertson. I know of kids from very fine homes who got involved with drugs.One single parent mother I know was as good a mom as their ever was. Her son got into drugs at Mt Vernon High ,never could shake them & died of them 15 years later. Blaming her would be like blaming victims of terror for the terror(as some are prone to do).We are a permissive society & standards of behavior,education and law are collapsing. Culbertson’s coming forward is a courageous thing & if it helps attack the problem ,all the better. ACTIVISM is what’s needed.In schools, homes,law enforcement and LAW. I see the death penalty for drug dealers as justified. Get on’em. Get tough.Real tough. Our borders too. Excuses don’t cut it.

  • Lynn

    I pray that people like John Q never have to understand what Dave Culbertson was saying. At the same time I want to let him/her know that when my son was a teenager his dad and I began to see signs of drug / alcohol abuse. Friends changed, interests changed, went from honor roll to barely passing. We made trips to a local reputable psychologist (who assured me our sons was not using), Mound Builders (who told me our son had ADHD and gave him a prescription that had a street value) and to the Freedom Center who didn’t know what to do with our son or even how to bill us because the visits weren’t court appointed. We encountered road blocks everywhere we went in Knox county. It is unfortunate that eight years later the citizens of this county choose to blame the parents instead of looking for solutions that in the end will benefit all who work and live in Knox County. The parents dealing with this issue can be found beside you at the ballpark, waiting in line for a parent’/teacher conference and sitting in front of you at church. Drug abuse with our youth is everywhere and is in good homes with good parents. I commend Dave Culbertson for his bravery to speak publicly on this topic and for his determination to make a positiive change.

  • Josh Anderson

    i am saddin and was shocked of Carls death i went to school with him and he was my teamate for 4 years in baberuth baseball and more than that he was my friend! my thaughts and prayers are with his family. JOSH

  • John C. Davidson

    I have to agree wholeheartly with Mr. Public; having been involved in the rental business and knowing how many parents dote on their children, even those over 30. There is no excuse for bad behavior.

    The parental emphasis on materialism rather than teaching responsibilties to their children remains a huge problem throughout this society. There is no substitute for achieving and creating a better enviroment for those within your circle of friends and your community.

  • John Q. Public

    I am personally surprised that Mr. Culbertson had no idea that his son was taking drugs for all those years. It seems to me that he does not wish to take any responsibility for knowing what his son was up to. This comment will probably make many liberals unhappy because they do not wish to take any responsibility for parenting. Yes, it’s much easier to blame the school teachers, the drug dealers, his friends, for this tragic loss of life. However, one thing remains constant…always be viligent over your children. Mr. Culberson, you choose to go public with this story, no sympathy from me for you, only for your son.

    • my2centsworth

      My,my,my…..You sure sound self righteous. Not to mention, that you have no sorrow for what this father went through by losing his son.
      It’s easy for people to stand back & accuse others of things they really dont know “beans” about.

      All parents hurt when a child is lost, weather its drugs, a car wreck or whatever. Apparently you either dont have children, or THINK you know what your kids are doing behind your back.

      What do you do when you find out yours are doing the same thing the Culbertson’s son did? Then who do you blame?
      Was it your fault? You must be a bad parent.
      So,…be careful about your thinking, & accusations…..Life has a way of bringing the accusations of others, right back to YOU.

      • Val

        To my2centsworth, I agree with John Q Public, it’s the parents responsibility to keep their children safe. You make it sound like a car accident and a drug overdose are the same thing. One comes on very quickly and one goes on for months or even years. The parents had time to get involved with their son, but chose to stay out of it. They chose to have his friends and their parents look after them. Mr. Culbertson has said that he was dissappointed in his son’s friends and in his teachers for not telling him how bad off his own son was. Where was he when all this was going on? It’s not other people’s responsibilty, it was his. Sure, I feel bad for him for having to lose a child. I know I wouldn’t want to ever go through that, either. I feel bad for his son, he was an addict and noone was there to care enough to help him. Mr. Culterson wasn’t a bad parent, he was just oblivious to his own son, somehow.

  • dirt rider

    Many years ago a kenyon student friend told of a guy who burst in the door of his room & said,”hide me”. Turned out he was a Mt Vernon High school student supplying Kenyon with drugs,he said.Got them at Michigan State U. My friend threw him out. The US drug habit is exploding,especially into rural areas.S Dakota has a “crack” problem in tiny hamets. The Mexican drug business is mudering innocent Mexicans & some Americans not just in Mexico but in 250 USA cities. Legalization will help how? There is a disease of character afoot in America & despite all the attempts to persuade it away,it grows….& grows. Maybe it’s time for force.If caught using drugs impose a 50% fine on income for LIFE. Quit messing around. Americans are finding death from Knox Co to Afganistan over drugs & it’s time that stopped.Could be legislators refuse to attack the problem because they are users themselves.America is in a hellofva mess.

  • am

    I think Mr Culbertson is a brave man, he is taking a very personal and painful issue and trying to help other families.

  • Dave Culbertson

    What the article did not get into is our Arms of an Angel Foundation, founded in Carl’s honor and to help prevent this from happening to other families. I have a 20-25 minute speech/Powerpoint presentation. I’m available to speak to school groups, church groups, organizations, young and old. No charge, but donations to the foundation are appreciated. With the D.A.R.E. Program cut out of the county budget, my speeches are even more important. For more info and some great educational links about different forms of drugs, check out ArmsOfAnAngel.org. We’re also having a benefit Rock Concert, Rock Against Addiction, Sat. Dec. 26 at Legends, starting at 9 pm.

  • Hometown Girl

    I am so sorry for the loss of the Culbertson’s son. I’m thankful for their willingness to share their story to try and spare other parents the pain they have suffered. Parents take note, it can happen to you. Let’s save our children.