Pubdate: Thu, 11 Aug 2005
Source: Sampson Independent, The (NC)
Copyright: 2005, The Sampson Independent
Contact:  http://www.clintonnc.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1704
Author: Chris Berendt, The Sampson Independent
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

COUNSELING, EDUCATION NEEDED TO SLOW METH ABUSE

CLINTON - Sampson County health officials say that increased substance
abuse counseling and continued education for the public on the growing
use, and manufacture of, methamphetamine in the county is greatly
needed. The health officials, speaking as representatives from teams
established to review selected cases of child abuse and neglect, gave
recommendations to the Sampson County Board of Commissioners recently
on how the growing problem of meth is being combatted and what else
needs to be done.

Representatives from the Community Child Protection Team and Child
Fatality Prevention Team gave their annual reports, covering 2004, to
the county board at the commissioners' meeting last week.

North Carolina law requires that counties establish and maintain the
two teams, which are mandated to review selected cases of child abuse
and neglect and assess records of child fatalities. In Sampson County,
the teams meet jointly on a quarterly basis.

Mary Margaret Hobbs, with the Department of Social Services, said that
the Community Child Protection Team has had to deal with constant cases
of drug abuse.

"In almost every case, substance abuse was a problem," said Hobbs.
She said that, in just about every case that was reviewed, and those
reported to DSS in general, drug abuse was a problem.

Infants are born addicted to drugs including cocaine, heroin and
methamphetamine, she said.  "A growing problem in Sampson County is
the use and manufacture of methamphetamine," Hobbs said.  "This drug
is highly addictive and can be manufactured quite easily," it states
in the CCPT report submitted to the commissioners. "These 'labs' have
been found in cars, outbuildings and homes where children reside. They
can cause permanent damage to the health of children, and even the
death when the highly flammable lab explodes."  Among the CCPT
recommendations made to the board were increasing substance abuse
counseling and residential treatment programs.

Mental Health reform has lessened resources in the county and, without
such resources, the programs are not as effective.  "We're in dire
need of resources," said Hobbs.  Other recommendations were to expand
prenatal care to include education involving substance abuse and how
infants are affected, as well as taking the message of the dangers of
all illegal drugs, notably meth, into schools, medical facilities and
the general public.  Continued education in schools is a main goal,
Hobbs said. There have already been steps made in the right direction
to address the problem of methamphetamine in Sampson County, Hobbs
said.  In regular quarterly meetings in 2004, both the CCPT and CFPT
were informed of the newly formed Sampson County Meth Task Force and
given an explanation of the task force's efforts in the community.

They have also been informed of the Sampson County Response Protocol
for Children found in Clandestine Drug Lab Situations.  The protocol
is to be used by social workers in the county, as well as law
enforcement and emergency management personnel, when responding to
cases where children are found in suspected meth labs.  Wanda
Robinson, interim health director, gave the CFPT report at the
commissioners meeting, saying that there were a total of 21 fatalities
reviewed in Sampson County in 2004, 13 of which were infants.  Based
on the data collected and reviewed, Robinson stated, it was determined
that seven of the deaths were from "other birth-related conditions."
The number, she said, consisted of a high number of preterm deliveries
(births prior to 38 weeks).  Robinson said that a database is to be
developed to evaluate the "ongoing significant number" of preterm
births starting in April 2005. The database will be shared with
Sampson Partners for Healthy Carolinians Task Force.  In addition to
the database, Robinson recommended continued public education about
the importance of early and continuous prenatal care. She also
recommended inviting the state coordinator of the Child Fatality
Prevention Team to provide on-site basic training for Sampson team
members.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Derek