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."