A candidate for Lima mayor lays out his plan to help with the opiate problem in the city.
Joshua Hayes is calling for change in what the community is doing to battle opioid addiction. He introduced a 5-step plan which would tackle the problem from different areas. The chiropractor would like to establish a more holistic method for pain management, create a public awareness campaign for the problem, and clean up and improve rundown neighborhoods that could be contributing factors to opiate addiction. He would also like to improve access to nutritious food and safe natural medicines, and find out why people are misusing prescription pills for pain management.
“It’s always about availability, access, and affordability. We need to break down those barriers that are keeping people from getting things that work,” says Hayes. “Because right now people are going and getting things the government may be paying for, something they may not have to pay for, and that is all that they can afford. So, we are really working to try to level that playing field, so people do have options, do have safe options, instead of going the opiate route.”
Hayes will face Sharetta Smith for the Lima mayor’s seat.
