Statistics

Drugs run rampant throughout the entirety of Adair County, and unfortunately for young and impressionable children, it appears that they take a grip upon them very early in life. On average, the young people of Adair County try standard cigarettes for the first time at the age of 14, and 23.5% of Adair County youth believe that there is only a slight risk or no risk associated with the consumption of tobacco. Marijuana statistics fare slightly better, as only 7.5% of youth and 7.3% of adults reported their use of marijuana. However in 2018, 33.7% of youth said that marijuana would be easy to obtain, showing that even those outside of the drug world in Kirksville can feel their effects and be acutely aware of their presence. For prescription drugs, youth on average begin using them at only 13 years old. The presence of these drugs within the youth of Kirksville sets them up for not only legal issues, but also those of mental health. On the legality side of things, drug related offenses are a real problem in Kirksville. From 2014 to 2016, a total of 395 drug-related arrests were made in Adair as well as 10 drug involved car crashes. Additionally from 2014 to 2016 there were 38 meth lab seizures in Adair County, which is wildly high and shows the true pinnacle of the drug problem in Kirksville, methamphetamine.

In regards to mental health, unfortunately it seems as if Kirksville is just not equipped to deal with the problem drugs are causing. From 2015 to 2017 across the entirety of Adair county, only 798 people were admitted to substance use treatment programs. The majority of people sent to these programs were white males between 20 and 30 years old who were not in the workforce and lived alone. Important to note as well, 675 of these admittances were adults, while only 54 were in the adolescent category, so even though the youth of Kirksville is plagued with drug use, it is obvious that they are not getting any form of professional help. This is caused in no small part, by the fact that in Kirksville there are no professional psychiatrists, begging the question of where do you turn to get help that isn’t in the negative setting of a substance abuse program? With only 120 people per 10,000 last year getting treated for drug use in Kirksville, undoubtedly the reach of mental health awareness in Kirksville needs to be drastically improved. 

Drug Use and Employment

Being a small town, there are not as many job opportunities in general compared to a large city like Kansas City or St. Louis. Even still, Kirksville is home to many businesses, both small and large. Most of the 7,226 people employed here holds jobs in administration, education, sales, and food service (Data USA 2018). For someone with a drug-related offense, employment looks a lot different, however. Two of the most common areas where people work in Kirksville (administration and education) would be incredibly difficult for someone with history of drug use to work in. A criminal record would potentially bar them from opportunities in these field. Many businesses are very willing to employ someone with a criminal record, though, and some of these businesses have establishments in Kirksville. Some examples are Subway, Dollar Tree, Home Depot, and PetSmart (Help for Felons 2017). There are around 15 additional businesses in Kirksville that are known to hire felons, albeit these people will generally have less opportunities for employment than people without a criminal record. Many of these companies may ask potential employers to take a drug test before employment, so current drug users may have an ever harder time finding work.

It is important to note that most people in the US who currently use or have used substances in the past month are unemployed (Badel and Greaney 2013). This might be because it can be difficult to find and keep a job while struggling with an addiction. This, coupled with the fact that drug users may have less opportunity for employment, makes it hard for them to reach their full potential in the workforce.

Percent of the Population 18 and Older, by Employment Status, Reporting Consumption of Any Illegal Substance in the Previous Month (2005-2011)

Badel and Greaney 2013

Government Assistance

On December 7, 2018, an interview was conducted with a representative from the Kirksville Resource Center, who was able to give insight on families in Kirksville that receive temporary assistance (TA) from the federal government. Though she was not able to provide specific statistics, she did offer general information that was helpful in analyzing the economic standings of Kirksville families. The main purpose of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is to provide for children, so TA is offered only to families with dependent children under 19 years of age. Individuals may apply for TANF if they have a low or very low income, and are under-employed, unemployed, or soon to be unemployed. The interviewer asked if individuals receiving TA benefits had their spending monitored, in case the money was being used for something like drugs, the representative answered that TA money can be direct deposited into a checking account or put on an EBT card. If the money is put on the EBT card and then withdrawn as cash, spending cannot be monitored. However, if the EBT card, itself, is used, the agents assigned to the case are able to view the location of each transaction. This could lead to the belief that it would be fairly easy for an individual to use the TA money to purchase drugs or alcohol. Additionally, families are not at risk to lose TANF benefits if they fail a drug test or are in recovery for drug addiction. However, if a person has been convicted of a drug related crime, they are not eligible. In Missouri, if you do not pass a drug test, you must do a treatment program.

Another interesting thing the representative shared was that participants are required to go through career readiness prep, unless there is a special circumstance. Since TANF is mostly concerned with needy children, the professionals involved try to make sure parents will be able to financially support their children. In regards to drug use, the representative was under the impression that having a drug convictions typically does not hinder a person from acquiring employment, but mostly a lack of effort and dedication. She offered the thought that there are places in town that will hire just about anybody, which the researchers looked into. As there are numerous companies in Kirksville that hire those with felonies, it does seem that the biggest thing preventing an individual from working could be the effort they are willing to put in, or their level of dependency on drugs, if they are using.

Social Services

In an interview with an employee of the Department of Social Services, it was confirmed that methamphetamines are the main drug plaguing the Kirksville community. The employee, Christine Steele, explained that meth use plays a large role in why a child may be taken away from its home. Meth can affect a person’s ability to make smart, safe decisions, thus making it difficult for them to properly care for a child. At the Missouri Department of Social Services, the ultimate goal is keep a child with their family, if possible, so professionals in the department intervene to make the living situation as safe as possible for the family. They may provide the family with shelter, or find another person to care for the child temporarily. Interestingly, Ms. Steele made note that in a home inspection, it is not an issue if the parent had recently used drugs, but if drugs were found on the premises, law enforcement would have to be involved.

Works Cited

Badel, Alejandro and Greaney, Brian. “Exploring the Link Between Drug Use and Job  Status in the US.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Disqus, July 2013, https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional-economist/july-2013/exploring-the-link-between-drug-use-and-job-status-in-the-us

“Companies That Hire Felons List.” Help for Felons, Help for Felons, 2017, https://helpforfelons.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Companies-That-Hire-Felons-List.pdf

“Data USA: Kirksville, MO.” Data USA, Data USA, 2018, https://datausa.io/profile/geo/kirksville-mo/#economy

Steele, C. (2018, December 7). MO Dept. of Social Services [Personal interview].