LOCAL GROUP CALLING FOR MORE ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS

A county-wide effort to combat a growing use of illegal drugs by Mineral
County teens is being spurred by a local citizens group.

An increasing use of heroin and the so-called "Club Drugs" such as ecstasy
are now being found in the county to the point where "if you want a certain
kind of drug you can find it," was the word from Deputy Sheriff Doug Fraley
to the Concerned Citizens Against Crime at a meeting Thursday night in Keyser.

"We have to educate kids not to go for it," he declared, reporting that
without funding for existing anti-drug programs some may be discontinued.

Commissioner Wayne Spiggle, who has coordinated the citizens' effort,
declared he sees the problem "as a glass half full, not half empty. Efforts
in the schools have been most effective and if they can be continued, or
expanded, we can expect results."

Deputy Fraley has been assigned to duty in the schools for 13 years, first
with the D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) for nine years
at the middle school level and for the last four years as a Prevention
Resource Officer in high school.

Funding for the D.A.R.E. program has run out and with the PRO grant money
being reduced annually, additional funding must be found locally to keep
either in operation.

County Commission President Cindy Pyles told the group she has been in
contact with the Board of Education regarding a meeting between the two
groups and the sheriff to explore funding sources to continue the PRO high
school program.

At the same time, Sheriff Gary White has concerns over providing
appropriate police protection for the community with his short staff,
especially since the voters rejected a proposed police levy which would
have provided additional police officers at a cost of only $25 a year for
the average household.

White said he has concerns over adequate back up for his officers. "We have
to weigh what is needed most, officers in the schools or on the street and
it is something I have to consider."

At the same time, Fraley pressed for programs at the middle school level as
well, maintaining, "The biggest thing is to give these kids information to
make intelligent decisions. By the time they get to high school they have
been offered drugs and into situations where they can get themselves in
trouble. At that point all we can do is counsel them."

Commissioner Spiggle was optimistic, declaring "we must find some way to
continue these programs. We need to get grass root citizens together and
educate ourselves about what can be done in the face of this growing
substance abuse problem. We can't just arrest ourselves out of the problem.
We must find sources of funds, through grants and if need be donations from
the business community and civic organizations."

Recognizing that as many as 80 percent of those in West Virginia jails are
there for crimes driven by alcohol or drugs, Spiggle pointed out, "It costs
Mineral County taxpayers well over $30,000 a month to maintain prisoners at
the regional jail and a significant number are there because of substance
abuse problems. So, looking at it that way, we pay now or we pay later and
the price will be much larger in terms of dollars and human suffering."

The citizens committee is meeting the first Thursday of every month at
Jane's United Methodist Church in Keyser and open to all concerned residents.