OFFICIALS, OTHERS TALK SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Citizens and law enforcement officials gathered at the Greenville
Hilton on Saturday to discuss how substance abuse affects every level
of society and to look for solutions.

The program was a gathering point for organizations to share ideas and
gain inspiration. Substance abuse is either the cause of or a factor
in the majority of crimes, said Dr. David Ames, president of the N.C.
Council on Substance Abuse.

The idea for the event came after the council approached Greenville
leaders about doing a program together. Ames said drugs was one of the
major issues the Greenville City Council wanted to focus on.

More than 100 people attended the conference. The keynote speaker, Dr.
LeRoy T. Walker, chairman and founder of the L.T. Walker International
Performance Center at East Carolina University, urged them to identify
problems of substance abuse and develop a mission for handling it.

Walker formerly served as track coach for N.C. Central University and
head coach of the U.S. Olympic Team. He said something useful can be
found in everyone and that failure is only bad if it is accepted.

"You have to first arrive at some reasonable and attainable goals," he
said. "Setting goals is an art; the key is to set them at the right
level."

More than 20 million people use drugs or alcohol, and about 8 percent
of them need treatment, said David Choate, director of the United Way
of Broward County (Fla.) Commission on Substance Abuse. He advised the
group to obtain information on the problem, pinpoint assets in the
community, track goals, evaluate problems and celebrate
accomplishments. "It is good to become involved and inflict change,"
Choate said, "but don't get into the position of taking responsibility
for moving the needle of drug abuse."

Participants watched a video presentation on three small successful
programs in the state. Focus groups shared thoughts about substance
abuse issues in Pitt County.

Attendees later split into small groups to develop action plans for
dealing with substance abuse in five areas:

Schools

- -Build connections with the community.

- -Create peer-to-peer networks.

- -Have students use substance abuse as their senior
project.

Family issues

- -Give children more guidance.

- -Identify at-risk children to take part in after-school
programs.

- -Establish mentor programs for children and parents.

- -Increase faith-based after-school programs.

Training for parents

- -Establish a conference for parents to discuss children's
issues.

- -Work more with churches and neighborhood groups.

- -Increase communication between kids and their parents.

- -Have parents hold their children more accountable for their
actions.

Child substance

abuse prevention

- -Begin educating children on substance abuse as early as age
3.

- -Increase mentorship programs.

- -Show children the consequences of substance abuse, such as a tour of
the jail.

- -Talk with the children of substance abusers.

Treatment resources

- -Having treatment more culturally conscious.

- -Identify gaps in treatment.

- -More community involvement in treatment activities.

"It's a good thing to get people to recognize what a real issue this
is in our community," said Theresa Edmondson, director of the Walter
B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center. "It affects the
quality of life and we can do something about it."

The next step is to create a county coalition to address substance
abuse. Ames said he was pleased at the success of the event and that
attendees now have the information and momentum to go to the next step.

"It's a long road ahead," he said. "This is not the end; it's just the
end of the beginning."