MEETING TO TARGET HEROIN USE

As Campbell County struggles with the reality of teen heroin use, a second
communitywide intervention to combat the problem will be convened at 7 p.m.
Tuesday at the auditorium at Campbell County High School. Mary Pat Behler,
one of the meeting's organizers, said the purpose of the meeting is
two-fold: to continue to draw attention to the issues of teen substance
abuse throughout Northern Kentucky, and to explore ways to fund more
treatment options. Behler is director of NorthKey Community Care, an
outpatient community mental health organization.

It's the second such meeting this month in Campbell County. Alexandria
Police Chief Mike Ward called the first in response to the overdose deaths
of three young men from rural Campbell and Kenton counties since August.
All three had histories of heroin abuse. An estimated 450 parents,
educators and law enforcement officials attended that meeting at the
Alexandria fire station on Feb. 5.

"The first meeting needed to happen, as painful as it was," Behler said.
"I've never seen anything like it in Northern Kentucky, where an entire
community has come together to deal with a drug problem.

"The unfortunate part is that, so often, it takes kids dying before people
really get angry about it."

Behler said she agreed to help organize an on-going effort against teen
substance abuse in Alexandria and beyond when parents approached her after
the first meeting.

"They wanted to know, 'What do we do next?'" said Behler, who describes
herself as "a Northern Kentucky point person regarding resources for
prevention and treatment."

Tuesday's meeting will include:

. A look at teen substance abuse throughout Northern Kentucky. "People in
Campbell County need to know they're not the only ones with a drug
problem," said Behler.

. A video about the problem of adolescent substance abuse across America.

The video was produced by Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy,
based at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University.

. A discussion of ways to create groups with specific missions. "We have
parents who want to do something, but they need an organized format in
which to do that," Behler said.

. A look at potential funding sources for prevention and treatment programs.