OXYCONTIN MEETING DRAWS 1,500

BEN HUR -- More than 1,500 people crowded into Lee County High School
Friday to unite against the rising epidemic of OxyContin addiction sweeping
across Southwest Virginia.

And most of the law enforcement officers, doctors, pharmacists, church
representatives, students and others who attended signed petitions asking
the Federal Drug Administration to recall OxyContin. The narcotic
painkiller, often prescribed to cancer patients, has become the illicit
drug of choice in recent months.

OxyContin overdoses have caused several deaths in Southwest Virginia
recently. Police and prosecutors have said that every community in the
region has an OxyContin problem. A recent drug sting in Wise County
resulted in 43 arrests, most related to illegal use of the drug. The
meeting was organized by the Lee County Health Coalition to explore how the
community can work together to get the problem under control.

Dr. Art Van Zee said an OxyContin recall is the only way to stop the
epidemic. Other medications can relieve pain and suffering for cancer
patients, he said. Van Zee added that he wasn't always convinced that a
recall was the answer, but changed his mind after watching the OxyContin
addiction rise.

''There is nothing short of recall of the drug that will address the growth
and extent of the problem,'' Van Zee said.

Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, issued a statement saying that the
company shares the concerns of Southwest Virginia residents. But efforts to
restrict access to the painkiller would be ''a disservice to the thousands
of patients in Virginia who rely on this medication to control their pain
and regain function in their daily lives,'' the company said in a news
release.

Education, abuse awareness and a prescription monitoring program can help
stop OxyContin abuse, the release stated.

Sister Beth Davies said she has counseled drug addicts for more than 20
years, but she has never seen an addiction level increase so much in such a
short time as has been the case with OxyContin.

''It's evident that as a community we're deeply concerned about OxyContin
use,'' Davies said. ''It has, indeed, changed us.''

Pharmacist Greg Stewart said the power of OxyContin addiction is no
mystery. The powerful time-released narcotic can effectively relieve pain,
especially for cancer patients, Stewart said.

But when the pill is broken up, chewed, snorted or mixed with water and
injected intravenously, the power of the drug is released at once. It packs
a wallop, but the high comes at a cost, he said.

''The higher you get the further you have to come down,'' Stewart said.
''Eventually a person has to use the drug just to feel normal. Never in my
24 years as a pharmacist have I seen a drug epidemic of this proportion.
I've seen individuals, families and communities destroyed. There is hope,
but only if we pull together as a community.''

Drug counselor Larry Lavender said he has worked with addicts for more than
15 years and is amazed at the growing OxyContin problem.

''I've never seen a drug take off as rapidly as OxyContin has,'' Lavender
said.

OxyContin addiction affects all age groups, Lavender said. He said he's
seen 13-year-old children and older residents who are hooked on the
painkiller.

''OxyContin is the drug of choice on the streets now,'' he said. ''The
devastation caused by this drug doesn't take that long.''

Lavender said that a 14-year-old girl told him she had never used drugs
before but started injecting OxyContin after just two uses. Three months
later, she was stealing to support the expensive habit, Lavender said.

The Rev. Clyde Hester, pastor of Gate City United Methodist Church, said
that hardly any family in the region is untouched by OxyContin addiction.

''I've seen lives wasted and it breaks my heart to see this going on,''
Hester said. ''It's time to stop this foolishness. It's past time.'' People
should not hesitate to report OxyContin abuse to the police, Hester said.
And churches should reach out to addicts and help them break the habit, he
added.

Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons said the public is as frustrated as police
when it comes to OxyContin abuse. Police are frustrated because a person
who has a prescription bottle of OxyContin pills can't be charged, even if
they obtained illegal ''refills'' on the street.

''We do the best we can with what we've got,'' Parsons said.

But Parsons said it's even more frustrating when the court system turns the
drug offenders loose.

''We make a case but the Circuit Court turns them back out on the
streets,'' Parsons said. ''It's a revolving door. They walk in one side of
the courtroom and out the other, laughing all the way. We're overwhelmed
from this and our crime rate is up. These people will steal anything they
can get their hands on to get this drug.''