By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
The fight against drugs may have just gotten a step easier for area families.
After presenting to area school boards, the Racine County Sheriff Department’s “First Step” program has officially begun.
Sheriff’s staff members, as well as Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, pitched the program earlier this year and received nearly unanimous support. The program provides packets of informational material and an oral drug test kits at various sites in the area.
The oral kit will test for benzodiazepines, oxycontin, cocaine, marijuana, opiates and methamphetamines.
Schmaling said the program is in response to one of the key issues raised during the 2014 “Heroin Summits” the sheriff’s department presented last spring – how to find help when you suspect a loved one is using drugs.
Schmaling said that, after being approached at a summit by a woman, he realized that “we didn’t really have that information out there for our residents.”
Schmaling has stressed the process is anonymous, and that the testing kits will not require any identification or law enforcement action.
Donations and asset forfeiture funds – specifically, drug money seized from dealers – will cover the cost of the program. He said no tax dollars would be used.
The resource kits will be available at the following locations:
• Burlington Area School District Office, 100 North Kane Street, Burlington.
• Burlington High School, 400 McCanna Parkway, Burlington.
• Racine County Sheriff’s Office, 717 Wisconsin Avenue, Racine.
• Racine County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Station, 14116 Washington Avenue, Sturtevant.
• Racine County Workforce Development Center, 1717 Taylor Avenue, Racine.
• Union Grove Union High School, 3433 S. Colony Avenue, Union Grove.
• Waterford Area School District Office, 507 W. Main Street, Waterford.
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