Seymour is known as the home of John Mellencamp, the Crossroads of America, and our Annual Oktoberfest, but some people have noticed something else. Stigma towards many things has been seemingly rising and worryingly becoming normalized.

One problem that draws stigma towards it is our drug and addiction issue. People believe that drug addicts choose their way of life and it is their fault for how they are and they are not worth living because they are struggling. One thing to disprove that argument is to listen to former addicts’ stories of how they got hooked and how they felt they needed it to make them forget their worries.

Another argument is that studies such as AACE have shown that people start using drugs or form another addiction to cope with childhood trauma. Jackson County had its survey in 2023 to show what some causes are, how they can be helped, and how trauma and drug addiction are connected.

The study also showed that Jackson County compared to the state has a higher drug arrest due to almost every crime being related to it. Instead of showing support for the addiction recovery groups that have been around and had opened such as 180 RCO, New Beginings, and Centerstone following the study, many said it was a waste of time and money even though the city had been given money for it by United Way.

One way Seymour could fix the stigma is to educate ourselves about people’s struggles and how we all could help others in their battle against addiction. It will take time and some won’t listen but some will help others in need and they will help make Seymour “Small Town Strong.”