Pubdate: Wed, 15 Jun 2005
Source: Sun Herald (MS)
Copyright: 2005, The Sun Herald
Contact:  http://www.sunherald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/432
Author: Justin Hooks

TOWN HALL TACKLES TEEN DRUG USE

'Education is always the key,' sheriff says

JACKSON COUNTY - The East Central Civic Association hosted a town hall
meeting Tuesday night to arm parents with information on how to prevent
children from using drugs and alcohol.

District Attorney Tony Lawrence, Sheriff's Capt. Ken Broadus and Children
Coalition director Jim Yancey spoke to about 70 parents and community
leaders on the options they have concerning teen drug use.

"Education is always the key in something that's harmful to our society,"
Sheriff Mike Byrd said. "It all starts with education and knowing what to
look for."

Yancey said a new drug abuse prevention task force is being established in
the eastern half of the county to supplement the task force in the western
half.

"We're trying to adapt multiple strategies across multiple sectors of the
community to fight drugs and alcohol," he said. "We're now at a point where
we can go in and partner with the Sheriff's Department and the Attorney
General's Office to see where the problems are here."

Broadus said children have many ways of concealing their drugs and often
hide them in plain sight.

He showed how a candy wrapper could be used to conceal pills, and how a
plastic candy tube could easily conceal a small bag of marijuana.

He noted that several seemingly innocuous items, such as a felt-tip marker,
have been designed with false interiors that can also store drugs.

"If you don't know what you're looking for," he said, "you won't see it.
These things are out here blatantly in front of you."

Lawrence spoke of many active drug education programs in area schools,
including the Safe Kids, Safe Streets program.

"The main goal here is to give children enough information about drugs so
they can make informed decisions to stay away from them," he said.

Lawrence is also getting community involvement and has formed the Community
Ministers Project that creates a fund to pay for drug rehab for people
unable to afford it themselves. 
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MAP posted-by: Josh