A Carroll County man is using his own experiences with heroin addiction to help others find hope and a path to recovery.”Eighteen years ago, I was literally living on Washington Boulevard, in an abandoned rowhouse, getting up every day, figuring out how to get dollars to support my habit,” Tim Weber said.In “Heroin: The Ripple Effect,” the Carroll County author details his 12-year addiction that landed him in and out of jail, his road to recovery and what he does now to maintain sobriety. “The big thing that I want people to get out of this book is the hope that no matter how far down you go, you can actually recover and you can have a beautiful life,” Weber said. Carroll County Sheriff Jim DeWees wrote the testimonial on the book’s back cover, and he made the book available to inmates at the detention center.”I felt like the book was inspirational. I think everybody needs real models. So, I think if an individual in a jail picks this up and reads it, they can associate where they are at in their life and realize there is hope, there is a path,” DeWees said.Part of that path involves an intense collaboration between the sheriff’s office, the state’s attorney’s office, where Weber works as a liaison, and other agencies to combat a drug problem that, like across the country, has worsened during the pandemic. “It’s a total effort to try to save lives around here,” DeWees said.There have been six overdose deaths in Carroll County in January compared with two this time last year. Carroll County State’s Attorney Allen Culver said the county is being more proactive with diversion programs and outreach. He said a big effort is underway to educate the public about the Good Samaritan Law.”People are worried about, ‘Am I going to get in trouble if I call the police?’ And, we (want to) make sure that they know that the primary reason to contact the police is (that) we’re worried about saving people’s lives. We’re not worried about putting people in jail,” Culver said.Weber said the ripple effect is about showing how just one person can make a difference. A documentary is in the works and his book is available online.
A Carroll County man is using his own experiences with heroin addiction to help others find hope and a path to recovery.
“Eighteen years ago, I was literally living on Washington Boulevard, in an abandoned rowhouse, getting up every day, figuring out how to get dollars to support my habit,” Tim Weber said.
In “Heroin: The Ripple Effect,” the Carroll County author details his 12-year addiction that landed him in and out of jail, his road to recovery and what he does now to maintain sobriety.
“The big thing that I want people to get out of this book is the hope that no matter how far down you go, you can actually recover and you can have a beautiful life,” Weber said.
Carroll County Sheriff Jim DeWees wrote the testimonial on the book’s back cover, and he made the book available to inmates at the detention center.
“I felt like the book was inspirational. I think everybody needs real models. So, I think if an individual in a jail picks this up and reads it, they can associate where they are at in their life and realize there is hope, there is a path,” DeWees said.
Part of that path involves an intense collaboration between the sheriff’s office, the state’s attorney’s office, where Weber works as a liaison, and other agencies to combat a drug problem that, like across the country, has worsened during the pandemic.
“It’s a total effort to try to save lives around here,” DeWees said.
There have been six overdose deaths in Carroll County in January compared with two this time last year. Carroll County State’s Attorney Allen Culver said the county is being more proactive with diversion programs and outreach. He said a big effort is underway to educate the public about the Good Samaritan Law.
“People are worried about, ‘Am I going to get in trouble if I call the police?’ And, we (want to) make sure that they know that the primary reason to contact the police is (that) we’re worried about saving people’s lives. We’re not worried about putting people in jail,” Culver said.
Weber said the ripple effect is about showing how just one person can make a difference. A documentary is in the works and his book is available online.
