LONG BEACH'S WAR ON DRUGS SETS EXAMPLE

LONG BEACH - Drug deaths in Harrison County

The Harrison County Coroner's Office reports 20 drug-related deaths
January through Oct. 11, compared to 37 fatal overdoses in 2003 and 46
in 2002. The number of drug-related deaths this year by area:

Gulfport: 11

Harrison County: 4

Long Beach: 2

Biloxi: 2

Pass Christian: 1

In a bedroom community, word of drug overdoses and related problems
travels fast and hits hard - especially when news spreads of a fatal
overdose and even more so when it claims the life of a young adult.

This community of 17,320, once gripped with shock and grief, is
fighting back in a unified effort that is expanding throughout
Harrison County. Some call it an extension of the Long Beach Drug Task
Force. Others call it a county-wide coalition. But no one's denying
that the Long Beach success story is a major step toward improving the
quality of life for miles around.

It's been two years since a small group of Long Beach community
leaders began meeting to consider ways to prevent an increasing number
of drug-related deaths. By 2002, the city had the highest per capita
death rate from overdoses in the county - at least nine of 46 drug
deaths reported.

As funds pour in for a county-wide effort and volunteers move from training
to research, statistics and surveys point to the first signs of success in
Long Beach: Drug-related deaths are down. Drug arrests are up and the
number of school students who admit to substance abuse has decreased about
10 percent.

"The Task Force is to be congratulated for its efforts and for
realizing the problem doesn't stop at the city limits of any
community," said George Schloegel, a founder of the Coast 21 public
policy group and CEO of Hancock Bank.

"Regardless of what we do in our communities to build better
companies, bigger payrolls, more job opportunities or recreational or
economic development, it pales in comparison when we lose one of our
bright young people to suicide, overdose, prison or an inability to be
a productive citizen," he said.

"Substance abuse of legal and illegal drugs hurts more than just the
abuser," said Schloegel. "It touches everyone who cares about them and
victimizes entire families."

A Community Effort

Fred Walker praises the officials, leaders and volunteers who have
made the Task Force's work a community effort with an expanded goal.

"It would have been easy to sweep it under the rug," said Walker, "but
those of us who first started sharing our concerns just couldn't sit
back any longer and watch our young people's lives fall apart or see
any more of them die. So many of them have holes in their hearts. They
need to know somebody cares enough to show them a better way."

News in September of a large grant to help accomplish those goals came
as a "bittersweet" occasion, Walker said. The award came as community
leaders and officials learned that another recent graduate of Long
Beach High had died of a drug overdose.

Chad Eichhorn, a football player attending junior college on
scholarship, died in Gulfport, and his death saddened his hometown,
said Mayor Billy Skellie.

"We don't need to let our guard down," Skellie said. "We've got to
keep working so nobody goes through the suffering of the loss of a
child. Of those we've lost, most have been young adults, but it's
somebody's baby."

According to a Meghan Farrell, a Long Beach High student, initial
efforts of school officials and police have served as a "wake-up call"
for students who once took risks bringing illegal substances to school.

Farrell said she no longer sees or hears of drugs or alcohol at school
because of random drug testing and impromptu visits by police and
their drug-sniffing canine.

"Feedback from students is one of our biggest gauges of success," said
Carrolyn Hamilton, school district superintendent.

Random drug testing of students who drive on campus and participate in
extra-curricular activities has produced only a few students who have
tested positive for drugs, Hamilton said.

"A positive result has a positive objective - to get the child in
counseling," she said. "The test results are confidential, and those
who test positive are given the opportunity to go through a six-to
eight-week counseling program offered by Gulf Coast Mental Health.

"There's no disciplinary action for those who agree to seek help,"
Hamilton said.

"We're just trying to be a comprehensive school system that meets the
needs of all students academically and in other ways to help them be
productive citizens."

More Effort Needed

Hamilton said she agrees with Walker's belief that mentoring should
become a priority and that more drug prevention efforts are needed at
the high school level.

"It's ironic that we get so much parental involvement at the
elementary school level," she said, "but your little elementary
students aren't the ones most likely to go out and get involved in
substance abuse."

The recent release of statewide surveys of students in grades 6, 8 and
10 shows a 10 percent decrease in substance abuse among Long Beach
students.

"It's not a scientific measurement," said Walker, "but I believe it
shows we're raising awareness."

The mayor and other officials also point to achievements in the Police
Department's "zero tolerance" policy against drugs. The agency has
designated two full-time narcotics officers, trained patrol officers
to look for drugs in traffic stops and added a drug dog.

Drug Arrests on Rise

Drug arrests this year have more than doubled. Police Chief Harley
Schinker reports 207 drug arrests from January through September,
compared to 88 drug arrests in 2003. More than half the arrests
involve young adults, ages 18 to 25, while 30 arrests, or nearly 15
percent, and involve teenagers 17 and younger.

Capt. Pat Pope, who runs the Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team, a
model drug unit statewide, said he supports increased efforts
regarding problems with prescription drugs.

"Nationally, the No. 2 drug abuse problem for children ages 12 to 17
is prescription drugs, behind marijuana," said Pope.

Coroner Gary Hargrove reports only two drug-related deaths in Long
Beach since January, compared to five last year. Countywide, fatal
drug overdoses have claimed 20 lives this year, compared to 37 drug
deaths last year.

Prescription drugs remain a serious issue, said Hargrove.

"Many people are still getting the pills from legitimate doctors,
often from out-of-state, and they're misusing and abusing them. I
totally hail the parents and leaders of Long Beach for recognizing
that a major problem, lying dormant, suddenly surfaced, and stepping
up to the plate to deal with it. It makes my job a lot easier."

The Task Force has received nearly $138,000 in grants this year for
efforts that include implementing Communities That Care. CTC is a
science-based prevention process that aims to reduce youth behavior
problems including substance abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency,
dropping out of school and violence.

Funding includes a $25,000 grant from Purdue Pharma, $14,000 from the
Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi for CTC. The recent award of
more than $98,500 from the Office of National Drug Control Policy is
for Task Force efforts in Long Beach.

"We're not going to see immediate results," said Walker, "but these
problems didn't come up over night. This is a start. I just wish we
had started several years ago."

Long Beach Arrests

Drug arrests in Long Beach have more than doubled since the Police
Department adopted a "zero tolerance" policy, bought a drug-trained canine
and assigned two officers to narcotics investigations. A summary of drug
arrest numbers from January through September:

207: Number of drug arrests, compared to 88 drug arrests last
year.

112: Arrests ages 18 to 25.

30: Arrests ages 17 or younger.

126: Arrests from traffic stops.

29: Arrests from calls or investigations

4: Arrests from schools.

36: Number of offenders with more than one count.

168: Number of marijuana charges, compared to 27 charges involving
pills, 12 charges involving cocaine or crack cocaine, 5 charges
involving meth or Ecstasy, and 33 involving paraphernalia.

5: Number of firearms recovered during drug arrests.