SULLIVAN JUDGE WARNS OF GROWING JUVENILE DRUG PROBLEM

KINGSPORT - Drug use by teenagers is one of the most serious problems
needing attention from Kingsport officials, Sullivan County General
Sessions Judge Steven Jones said last week.

"It's a horrible problem," Jones said. "What we see here in juvenile
court is a lot of the kids, even during school hours, going down to
areas in Kingsport where drugs are readily available and purchasing
them and becoming addicted."

Jones, among other duties, presides over Sullivan County Juvenile
Court, Division II, at Kingsport. Unlike the cities of Bristol, Tenn.,
and Johnson City, Kingsport does not operate or fund a juvenile court.

Jones has approached the city, seeking funding for an adolescent drug
court. An adult drug court already is in use in general sessions court.

The term "drug court," Jones said, can give the wrong impression of
what the program is about.

"It should be called drug treatment court," Jones said. "Because
that's what it's about, getting treatment for people."

In his proposal for a city-funded adolescent drug court, that
treatment would be for juveniles charged with criminal offenses
involving drug and alcohol abuse.

City Manager A. Ray Griffin Jr. said he met with Jones last month.

"He has what I think is a good proposal," Griffin said. "We're still
looking at it. We haven't yet been able to take it to the Board of
Mayor and Aldermen to talk to them about it."

City staff, Griffin said, are "exploring creative ways" to find the
nearly $51,000 requested to fund the adolescent drug court.

"I really think it's a good concept, and I want to share it with the
board," Griffin said Thursday. "But we've just not been able to get
through that process of review to get it to the board at this point in
time."

Griffin said Jones delivered his adolescent drug court proposal after
this fiscal year's budget process was complete. The fiscal year began
July 1 and covers the city's finances through June 30, 2005.

Asked if that meant the proposal would have to wait until next year's
budget cycle begins, Griffin did not answer "yes" or "no."

"I'd like to share the concept with the board, certainly earlier than
that," Griffin said.

Jones said it was appropriate to seek funds from the city for the
proposed program.

"The county already does things to help us," Jones said. "For example,
they fully fund Sullivan House at $294,000."

Sullivan House is a residential treatment facility for juvenile boys.

"So we asked the city ... would you become involved in this?" Jones
said. "This would address one of Kingsport's most serious problems,
that no one likes to talk about - drugs. The trade is so lucrative
here, the demand is so high, that people from out of state are
actively involved. You send one away, and there's another one to
replace them."

Bob Larkins, juvenile court director, said youths who come through the
court system say drugs are easy to obtain.

And they're not just talking about marijuana.

"Kids say cocaine is as readily available now as marijuana was years
ago," Larkins said.

Juveniles are also using "crystal meth," Larkins said - and becoming
addicted to it.

Sometimes a juvenile's parents only learn that their child is addicted
to drugs during the court process, Larkins said.

Some juveniles ask for help, he said.

"It's frightening beyond belief what we see in court," Jones said.
"The parents are the last to know it a lot of the time."

And some parents, Jones said, don't realize the level of drugs area
juveniles have access to.

"Parents need to know this," Jones said. "For example, people used to
think marijuana was not addictive. No."

Marijuana now contains more of the psychoactive component THC, Jones
said, and it is often laced with other drugs, like cocaine.

"We have kids in treatment now who are physically addicted to
marijuana," Jones said. "We need more intensity in our approach to
these kids to try and get this problem taken down. That's why we are
looking at this program."

Jones said when he met with Griffin, he explained the need for the
adolescent drug court - and that drug use by juveniles crosses all
socioeconomic boundaries.

"These kids seem to have no idea what they're getting into," Jones
said. "We've got to try to do something to help them. So we've asked
the city to help with funding. We would like to see them involved,
somewhat."

The basic premise of the adult drug court program is to get treatment
for addicts instead of sending them to jail. Although, in some cases
an individual might be given jail time and then be put into the
treatment offered by the program.