DRUG ABUSE AT THE FOREFRONT OF LOCAL CONCERNS, PANEL TOLD

Last year, Douglas County sheriff's deputies were called to Mercy
Medical Center after a 10-month-old child was treated after ingesting
methamphetamine.

The child's mother, who also had two other young children at home,
told officers she and her boyfriend had consumed meth earlier that
morning. However, authorities were unable to determine how the baby
got the illegal drug into its system.

All three children were taken into protective custody. Three months
later, the mother was re-arrested, again on meth charges, Janet Judd,
executive director of the Douglas County Methamphetamine Task Force,
told members of the Governor's Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse at a
meeting Tuesday in Roseburg.

Five members of the 13-member statewide panel, which currently has
three vacancies, took part in two days of meetings in Roseburg. The
group meets 10 times a year in Salem and scheduled visits to two
counties annually.

The council heard from representatives of 14 different groups during
the daylong session Tuesday at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center.
Information presented will be used in a biennial report to Gov. Ted
Kulongoski. The report examines drug and alcohol abuse problems in
the state and makes recommendations for improving the situation.

Authorities are starting to see a second generation of meth users
locally, Judd said, and problems caused by the extremely addictive
drug are growing. It's increasingly difficult to "get kids out of the
addiction loop," she said.

Judd called drug use the single greatest preventable health problem
in Douglas County. Raising public awareness only scratches the
surface in dealing with the problem, she said.

"In order to make a lasting impact, it will take fundamental changes
to the system to get people adequate treatment when they want it and
need it," Judd said. "Like other chronic medical conditions, it's not
a problem we expect to go away after an initial treatment plans or
multiple treatment plans. It must be managed appropriately over a lifespan."

The council also heard that southwestern Oregon ranks among the top 3
percent among areas in the United States for abuse of prescription
opiate drugs. John Gardin, a psychologist at Roseburg-based ADAPT,
said prescription opiates are the fastest-growing drugs of abuse in
the country.

Last year, there were more new people abusing that class of drugs
than started using marijuana, he said.

ADAPT is taking part in a three-year study being conducted by Harvard
University on treatment of prescription opiate abusers. Thirty-four
participants are being monitored locally, and ADAPT is looking for up
to 20 more.

Several of the people who spoke Tuesday expressed frustration with
the mixed message society sends teenagers by decrying drug use while
at the same time condoning the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Douglas County ranks fifth in the state in the number of residents
with medical marijuana cards issued by the Department of Human
Services. A total of 1,033 Douglas County residents are registered in
the program. The four counties at the top of the list, Multnomah,
Lane, Jackson and Clackamas, have much larger populations than
Douglas County's 104,675.

Kathe Linden, executive director for Douglas County Communities
Aligned to Prevent Substance Abuse, which works to prevent substance
abuse among teenagers and in the workplace, said it was ironic that
the Alternative Medicine Outreach Program, which prescribes medical
marijuana for a significant number of its patients, is located near
Roseburg High School.

"We're telling out kids 'Don't do drugs,' and, yet, across the
street, drugs are medicine. So that conflicting message to our kids
really fuels some of the high rates of substance abuse," Linden said.

Linden also told the council how area employers struggle to maintain
a drug-free workforce.

Bill Hall, a Lincoln County commissioner from Newport who serves on
the council, said Douglas County faces many of the same issues found
in other counties. The council continually hears about the inadequacy
of resources for treatment and prevention of drug and alcohol abuse
and pushes for higher funding levels.

He said he was impressed by the number of public and private
nonprofit agencies that work together here to combat problems with
substance abuse.

"This is one of the stronger communities that I've seen in terms of
collaboration," Hall said. "There's a lot to be proud of in this county."