Over the years, I’ve known many young people who have gone to an early grave because of a drug overdose.

I had a personal relationship with most of them and their families. Only the people close to the victims knew the cause of death. Because of the stigma of drug addiction, the families, feeling ashamed or guilty, never discussed the cause of death publicly or privately.

Fred and Dorothy Shuemake of Middletown, Ohio, unselfishly handled the death of their 18-year-old daughter, Alison, differently.

They let it be known in her obituary that Alison died of a heroin overdose.

According to Alison’s mother, there was no hesitation about sharing publicly the cause of her daughter’s death. She said, “We’ve seen other deaths when it’s heroin, and the families don’t talk about it.”

The Shuemakes said what really matters is keeping a child from trying heroin. They didn’t want anyone else to feel the same agony and wretchedness that they were left with.

Fred, Alison’s father, a retired Middletown police detective, has a desire to promote a potentially preventive dialogue about what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls an epidemic in their county.

Heroin deaths in the country have jumped in two years from 30 in 2013 to 130 in 2014. This year 86 such deaths have been recorded as of Aug. 31.

The drug problem in Ohio and America is worst now than ever before. This includes the River Parishes.

If you have any questions, or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477 or e-mail hkeller@comcast.net.