SURVEY CHARTS DRUG ABUSE IN GUILFORD

GREENSBORO -- In 2001, nearly 8 percent of people in Guilford County used
drugs.

More than 1,000 people in High Point and 2,700 people in Greensboro used
cocaine.

And about 240 Guilford County children under 18 received treatment for drug
and alcohol abuse in 2000.Getting Treatment

People receiving treatment for substance abuse in Guilford County in 2000,
by age:

0-8 10,

9-12 3,

13-15 65,

16-17 164,

18-20 397,

21-24 591,

25-34 2,082,

35-44 2,507,

45-64 1,339,

65 and over 87

Source: Guilford County Substance Abuse Coalition

Those numbers are "just the tip of the iceberg," according to the Guilford
County Substance Abuse Coalition, which on Friday released what it calls
the county's most comprehensive look at addiction. The coalition, a
committee of local experts in drug and alcohol abuse and prevention, says
the results are a "fairly good tool" for measuring drug use, but one that
is far too conservative.

In other words, the reality is worse than the survey suggests.

"I do think these are very, very low numbers because of the methodology,"
said Nancy Hunter, the Greensboro consultant who compiled the data.

The information comes from a variety of sources, including door-to-door
surveys conducted by the federal government across the nation. Researchers
interviewed a "representative sample" of North Carolinians. Hunter then
used state statistics to extrapolate data about Guilford County, Greensboro
and High Point based on population.

The federal researchers didn't interview homeless people, nor did they poll
people living in hospitals and jails, another reason why the numbers are
low, Hunter said.

True, the study doesn't present a complete -- or scientific -- picture of
addiction. But it might be enough to raise community awareness locally
about the problem, said Wanda Martin, disease prevention manager for the
county's health department.

"The community sometimes turns and says, 'This doesn't affect me. This
isn't my problem,' " she said.

The study also revealed:

. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in Guilford County.

. More than 7,240 people countywide received treatment for drug and alcohol
dependency in 2000, including 10 children eight years old or younger.
Another 65 children ages 13 to 15 entered treatment that year.

The majority were addicted to alcohol and crack.

. In Guilford County, about 127,300 people drank alcohol -- and more than
56,300 abused alcohol -- in 2001.

. About 108,000 residents used tobacco in 2001. The majority of users
smoked cigarettes.

The study also looked beyond numbers. Hunter and other coalition members
held town-hall meetings with citizens and interviewed recovering addicts
and alcoholics.

Many agreed that getting "clean and sober" isn't a problem in Guilford
County, given the wide array of services available, Hunter said. But
because there are too few half-way houses and support groups, staying
"clean and sober" is a problem.

That anecdotal information validates what recovery specialists are hearing
from their clients, said Kathy Bull of Caring Services of High Point, a
substance abuse recovery program.

"All the treatment in the world is meaningless if you're not keeping them
clean and sober," she said.

Others say blame Medicaid and private insurers for not paying for treatment
when addicts relapse. For many people struggling to recover, not having
enough money for a second round of treatment is a problem, said Craig
Thomas, executive director of Mary's House, a group home for women addicts.

"If you break your leg, Blue Cross Blue Shield will fix your leg. If you
break it again in two years, it will fix it again," she said.

"They don't do that for drug treatment."