TWELVE SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA OFFICIALS APPOINTED TO SERVE ON STATE
OXYCONTIN TASK FORCE

WISE - Twelve Southwest Virginia officials have been selected to
participate in a state task force that will deal with prescription
drug abuse, specifically the OxyContin crime epidemic.

The task force was formed out of a state meeting attended by Virginia
Attorney General Mark Earley. That meeting brought together the maker
of OxyContin and law enforcement officials from Kentucky, Maryland,
Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

The 25-member task force will include doctors, health care consumers,
a pain management specialist, pharmacists and pharmaceutical company
representatives, rehabilitation experts, and state and local law
enforcement officials.

"The widespread illegal trafficking and abuse of OxyContin in
Southwest Virginia has created a surge in criminal behavior," Earley
said in a news release. "This task force will examine the problem
while gathering information on ways to address and curb the abuse of
OxyContin and other prescription drugs."

Those appointed to the task force from the local area include Sens.
William Wampler and Phillip Puckett and Delegates Terry Kilgore and
Jackie Stump.

Lee County Commonwealth's Attorney Tammy McElyea and Wise County
Commonwealth's Attorney Joseph Carico have also been appointed to the
task force, as well as Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons and Norton
Sheriff Carlos Noakes.

Two local pharmacists will also participate in the task force - Greg
Stewart of Pennington Gap and Steve Adkins of Weber City.

Two local education figures were also selected as task force members.
Lee High School principal Rod Griffith and Ruby Wolf Rogers, a member
of the Virginia Board of Education from Gate City, will serve.

Other notable members include Gerald Massengill, superintendent of the
Virginia State Police; Ron Angelone, director of the Department of
Corrections; John Hasty, director of the Department of Health
Professions; Mack Brankly, acting director of the Department of
Medical Assistance Services; Richard Kellog, commissioner of the
Department of Mental Health; and Ben Smith, director of the Office of
Substance Abuse Prevention.

Members were also pulled from Wythe County, Carroll County, Smythe
County, Buchanan County, Giles County, Richmond and Galax.

The problem of OxyContin abuse is well-known in Southwest Virginia,
where Carico said it has created its own subculture of crime.

"It has had a significant impact on Wise County because first, I guess
and most obviously, it has increased criminal activity within the
county," Carico said. "Many crimes involving larceny, burglary and
robbery are motivated by defendants' needing money to buy OC on the
street.

"The problem is creating this new subculture where there is criminal
activity intertwined with different criminal activity. It has
increased our caseload by at least one-sixth over year 2000 levels."

Griffith said he was pleased to serve on the task force, adding that
the OxyContin problem is the most frightening drug problem he has had
to deal with in his career as an educator.

"This is about the scariest thing I have seen since I have been an
administrator," Griffith said. "This drug is synthetic morphine, and
it doesn't take an awful lot to become addicted. ... Our goal is to
solve the problem. Two years ago, no one had heard of this drug. Now
everyone knows."

Griffith added that he believes the drug is being misprescribed, and
that is leading to teen-agers being able to access and abuse OxyContin.

Carico agreed and said his goal on the task force is to toughen
restrictions for prescriptions and toughen punishment on those who
abuse.

"We need to make people take responsibility for their actions, and we
need to make drug companies take responsibility if they are making the
drug too accessible, and we have to make those doctors take
responsibility who are misprescribing this medication or
overprescribing it," Carico said.

The first meeting of the task force is set to take place in Southwest
Virginia in May.