Is the increasing number of recovering addicts in Scioto County actually an economic advantage? One candidate for Scioto County Commissioner says yes, but Commissioner Bryan Davis has a differing opinion.
The growing number of substance recovery facilities and population of recovering addicts in the Portsmouth area has many people lamenting that the only growing demographic in the region are recovering addicts.
County Commissioner candidate Josh Lawson says people in recovery are a great asset in economic recovery. He calls it a tremendous advantage that can work for everyone and help bring the county back. Lawson says Scioto County stands in the national spotlight for the rural opioid crisis and that it is not a liability but an asset. “The whole country knows our story of struggle and decline. Now they are looking at us for answers.”
SCDN reporter Betty Smith caught up with Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis after Thursday’s County Commissioners Meeting to ask his opinion on the topic.
Good for Business?
Davis agreed that there is an increase in the number of recovering addicts in the population, partly because a large number of recovery facilities in the area bring people in from other areas. “Some rehab facilities are actively soliciting courts to sentence people to the Portsmouth area. That’s a fundamental difference between me and my opponent. He is advocating for more people to come here, more rehabs.”
Davis said he feels that if the rehab community is successful in rehabilitating people who live in Portsmouth, those numbers should go down.
Davis also questioned whether recovering addicts could be helpful in filling vacant positions in an understaffed workforce. “From my understanding from the manner in which they are doing the rehabilitation, a lot of people aren’t available to do shift work, so that’s a problem. I’m hearing that from the people who actually own the businesses.”
600 Recovering Addicts on Foodstamps
Davis said he realized that’s not always the case and that there are success stories. “I for one am not an advocate of bringing more people into our area. Counties should take care of their own people, have their own rehabs and mental health services. We have a lot of individuals already here.”
Davis said there are over 600 SNAP recipients in the county who identify as being in some type of rehabilitation program. “That’s a lot of people. Those numbers are only going up.”
The commissioner said that some rehab clients drop out of programs and end up in local jails. Davis said he feels the majority of Scioto County citizens do not agree with bringing more recovering addicts in.