METH SEMINAR DESIGNED TO DRAW MORE ATTENTION TO GROWING COUNTY PROBLEM

Meth is a problem, one which law enforcement continues to deal and
addicts continue to battle. It affects not only those who choose to do
the drug, but their families, landlords, neighbors and many throughout
the community.

The first step in the battle, as many law enforcement and educational
officials will attest, has always been awareness -- that of the drug
itself, and the dire and far-reaching effects the drug can have,
whether physical, psychological and economical.

That importance of such awareness will be expressed thoroughly at an
upcoming seminar, to be held this Tuesday, Nov. 28, at Sampson
Community College, as well as act as the focal point for National Meth
Awareness Day two days later, on Nov. 30.

As part of Meth Awareness Day, it is the objective of the U.S.
Department of Justice to educate as many people as possible about the
dangers of methamphetamine. Officials from the Department of Justice,
including U.S. Attorneys, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and special agents
with the Drug Enforcement Administration, will be hosting educational
presentations around the country on National Meth Awareness Day.

Locally, there is a public awareness event scheduled to run from 6 to
8 p.m. this Tuesday, , in the SCC Activities Building lecture hall.
The presentation will be conducted by experts with the Sampson County
Meth Task Force and is being sponsored by the Sampson County Woman's
Club.

J.W. Simmons, with SCC's Continuing Education Department and a member
of the Meth Task Force, said that the development of the Meth Task
Force and such presentations and distribution of information have
aided in increasing that public awareness.

"Since the development of the Meth Task Force, I believe we have been
instrumental in increasing awareness of the problem of methamphetamine
abuse and the negative impact on our communities," Simmons said. "With
the inception of the Task Force, it's members and our corporate
sponsor, we have been able to reach into the school system and begin
to educate our children and reach out to communities through our faith
based efforts in churches and civic groups."

While awareness efforts have been successful, he said, the problem
remains a steady one. Simmons said that, while efforts to remove key
precursors to meth's manufacture from store shelves have made some
significant differences in the number of "mom and pop" labs, imports
from "superlabs" in Mexico and Southern California are quickly taking
their place -- and Imported meth often has more potency and increased
effects.

Simmons referred to methamphetamine as "one of the most dangerous and
deadly drugs we've faced in sometime." In a recent interview, Sampson
County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton stated that sheriff's deputies have
dismantled nearly 30 meth labs in the county in the last four years.
And, many of those have actually been dismantled in the last two.

"Unfortunately, we've got the distinction of having dismantled more
east of I-95 than any other county in eastern North Carolina,"
Thornton said.

Added Simmons, "If there is any good news in this continuous tragedy
called meth, it is that current studies are revealing increased
recover rates by those unfortunate addicts afflicted by this dreaded
disease."

He said he and many others have learned much over the past four years
in regards to methamphetamine, with one of the most important that the
addiction is a disease.

"We must put more efforts into treatment, rehabilitation, and
education while holding firm on enforcement," said Simmons. "If not we
will only increase the financial burden of citizens and continue to
fight a war with no end."

And those who use and abuse the drug are not the only ones who may pay
the consequences for that abuse.

Next Tuesday's public awareness event sponsored by the Sampson County
Woman's Club will cover the dangerous drug and its effects.

"As citizens of Sampson County, we must be aware of what to look for
in a meth user since it relates to our communities, workplace,
families, and other various areas," a flier for the event states.

Along with affecting users, their families and friends both directly
and indirectly, such drug activity can affect landlords who have
rental property on which such drugs are being used. They will be held
accountable for the thousands of dollars worth of cleanup that must be
done to make the residence safely inhabitable again.

Those who attend the presentation will be able to hear experts on
methamphetamine speak, as well as ask any questions on their mind.

To find out more about methamphetamine, its effects and keys to
detecting meth labs, as well as read testimonials from others and see
links to more related information, visit the Sampson County Meth Task
Force's website at www.methdeath.org.