I initially came to “Townhall: Embracing a Shared Community,” with the hopes of learning more about the “Ithaca Plan.” After a conversation surrounding city planning, police relations, and college town, Mayor Svante Myrick began to discuss in detail his new initiative.
Two years ago, an angry mayor brainstormed with a group of people from around the community – law enforcement, hospital, business owners, university administers – to solve the war on drugs. Together through municipal power, they created the Ithaca Plan. It was a completely innovative way to reimagine drug addiction as a disease.
A victim to the brutal impacts of heroin addiction, he had a glimpse into the struggle of addiction. He described addiction like a fast moving river, that many people fall into. And for some, the river will pull them under with no chance to rise above. In my opinion, Mayor Myrick is looking to extend a hand to those wanting relief. By building a facility that provides a safe space for heroin addictions to slowly wean themselves off this addictive drug in a medically supervised manner, he hopes to reduce death rates. Moreover, his four step plan aims to reduce crime, drug usage and stimulate local economy.
I really appreciate Mayor Myrick’s attempts to communicate with opioid abusers instead of simply address the “statistics” of how many people abuse such narcotics, which many policy makers often do. By talking with them, I feel he is better able to produce policy and action that actually creates a solution.