Pubdate: Tue, 13 Sep 2005
Source: Daily Astorian, The (OR)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Astorian
Contact:  http://www.dailyastorian.info/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1629
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

COUNTY PLANS METH SUMMIT TO HELP CURB EPIDEMIC

Gathering Tentatively Planned For February; Event To Focus On Sharing 
Information About Meth

Helping Clatsop County "take ownership" of the local methamphetamine 
problem is the goal of a "meth summit" now in the planning stages.

The gathering, tentatively planned for February 2006, is designed to bring 
local officials, drug experts and county citizens together for a one-or 
two-day event focused on sharing information about the growing problem and 
brainstorming ways to fight it, according to Clatsop County Administrator 
Scott Derickson.

Such summits have been held in a number of other Oregon communities as 
"grass-roots responses to a problem that appears to be a growing epidemic," 
and have been received positively by participants, he said.

"From the responses I've seen, the summit is effective," he said.

The format and list of participants is still being put together, Derickson 
said. Organizers are considering a one-day, all-day event or one spanning 
two evenings. Grant funding to help pay for the event is also being sought.

"To tackle this, it requires real community engagement and real community 
problem-solving," he said.

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More on Meth

Wednesday, The Daily Astorian begins a three-day series highlighting the 
problems of methamphetamine abuse in Clatsop County. The series in the 
newspaper will feature stories about the issue, and there will be visual 
and audio features on the paper's Web site at www.dailyastorian.co
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman