Pubdate: Fri, 16 Feb 2007
Source: News-Review, The (Roseburg, OR)
Copyright: 2007 The News-Review
Contact:  http://www.newsreview.info
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2623
Author: Chelsea Duncan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

KNOWLEDGE CALLED BEST ANTIDOTE FOR METH

It's a topic on the minds of many. It's been called a scourge on 
society, an epidemic.

Methamphetamine, methamphetamine, methamphetamine. Douglas County 
leaders believe the more discussion there is around the drug, the 
better the odds of beating it.

On Feb. 22, members of the Douglas County Meth Task Force will hold 
an educational community event about meth. The hope is to get Douglas 
County residents to understand the truths about the drug's dangers.

"I think we'd be going a long ways toward helping to prevent more 
people getting on it," said Joyce Akse, co-chair for the task force.

The free presentation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Umpqua 
Community College Jacoby Auditorium. Highlighted speakers include Dr. 
Jack Stump from the Southwest Washington Medical Center and Douglas 
County Sheriff Chris Brown.

Stump spoke last year at a presentation on meth sponsored by the Cow 
Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians. Some 1,000 people packed 
the Roseburg High School Student Center to learn about the history 
and development of meth abuse in the U.S.

 From there, local leaders and community members began to organize 
their efforts to fight the drug's use and the meth task force was 
born. The task force and its subcommittees focus on prevention, 
social change, treatment and law enforcement efforts.

So you know ...      WHAT: Douglas County Meth Task Force 
presentation on fighting methamphetamine

WHERE: Umpqua Community College Jacoby Auditorium

WHEN: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 22

WHO: Presenters such as Dr. Jack Stump of the Southwest Washington 
Medical Center and Douglas County Sheriff Chris Brown "Individual 
groups and entities have been working themselves for quite a bit of 
time," said Joe Harris, a member of the event's planning committee.

With the task force, leaders have joined to promote a communitywide 
effort. That's one reason Harris helped work to bring Stump back.

Stump's upcoming visit to Douglas County will mark his 181st lecture 
on meth over a 14-year period, he said in a telephone interview with 
The News-Review. Stump will recap his presentation last year and then 
focus on what can be done.

"We're going to add on some ideas of what the community can do to 
deal with methamphetamine and how to change the culture ... that 
allows methamphetamine to exist," Stump said.

According to a press release on a meth-related legislation sponsored 
in part by Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, this state treats more people 
for meth addiction per capita than any other state. Oregon is also 
consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally for meth lab seizures.

In his presentation, Stump will also debunk myths about the drug. 
Meth, for example, isn't like other drugs people can do for a bit and 
then return to normal lives. Within just two weeks to a month, he 
said, meth can cause significant brain injury.

"The existence of meth in a community changes the livability in your 
community," he said, "whether you're a user or not."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman