COUNCIL HELPS FORM NEW DRUG COURT

MADISONVILLE - The Monroe County Coordinating Council for Substance Abuse
Prevention and Treatment announced during its regular meeting on Tuesday,
Dec. 2 that the process had begun for the county to get an adult drug
court. The court would be used for drug related criminal charges and would
allow offenders to receive treatment.

Judge Carroll Ross is the acting judge for the drug court, which would
cover Monroe, McMinn and Polk counties. It is expected to take one year to
get the court running. A planning group will meet in January.

In school news, council Director Laurie Ashcroft announced she has started
a relapse prevention group at Sequoyah High School. She said the group was
well attended and seemed to be making a difference. She also said she had
received material for "Brain Power" and "Kids on the Block," both
educational programs Ashcroft is hoping to implement in Monroe County
schools. Two posters have been chosen from the poster contest recently held
in the schools and will be placed on billboards around the county.

The council recently surveyed 149 students on tobacco, alcohol and
marijuana use. Twenty-two percent of ninth graders said they had tried
tobacco and/or alcohol five or more times. Seventeen percent have tried
marijuana five or more times. When asked about their family, 35 percent
said someone in their family used tobacco, 22 percent said someone in their
family used alcohol and 12 percent said someone in their family used
marijuana. When asked about friends, 28 percent said they had friends who
used tobacco, 23 percent said they had friends who used alcohol and 22
percent said they had friends who used marijuana.

Ashcroft is currently counseling 61 individuals involved with drugs or
alcohol. Although Ashcroft has a master's degree, she is not a licensed
counselor so she cannot charge for services. Dr. Barbara Levin suggested
the board consider locating an individual to take over some of the cases so
they could start charging.

The next council meeting will be Jan. 27 at 12:30 p.m. For more
information, call Ashcroft at 519- 1160.