Dealing with Substance-Abusing Patrons in the Lib. :From Meth to Marijuana

Patrons who visit your library under the influence of drugs or alcohol (or worse, both) can range in their behavior from no problems to causing problems. They can be cyclical - cooperative one moment, then raging the next. Stimulant drug users -taking meth and crack cocaine - are particularly difficult, since they often show signs of paranoia and even schizophrenia. Heroin users are now shooting up in library restrooms an even in the stacks at an alarming rate. Some library staffers have been trained to give Narcan to overdosed patrons, as they wait for the paramedics to arrive. Marijuana use is being decriminalized and legalized in dozens of states. What do we do about all of this, to keep staff and patrons safe?