TRI-COUNTY SCOURGE

Police and Drug Counselors Say People Seeking Treatment For Addiction Are
Just the Tip of the Iceberg When It Comes to Substance Abuse in the Area

MANNING - Hundreds seek help for addiction to alcohol, drugs, and now
tobacco in Clarendon, Lee and Sumter counties each year, and according to
many treatment professionals, these abusers represent only a fraction of
the problem. "We treat a lot of people in Clarendon County, but it's just
the tip of the iceberg of the number of people who have problems in this
county," said Ann Kirven, executive director of Clarendon Behavioral Health
Services. "We are coming up on the holiday season when many people may be
killed because they are drinking and driving or using drugs and driving,"
she said. "We're not treating nearly all the people who have addiction
problems. "Statistics nationwide show that less than half the people with
problems seek treatment," she said.

The Drug of Choice

A variety of drugs are prevalent in the tri-county area, including alcohol,
crack cocaine, cocaine and marijuana. Designer drugs or "club drugs" like
Ecstasy, GHB, Roofies and methamphetamines are also beginning to be seen
throughout the region. Most of the designer drug users are described as
white males, ages 19 to 25, and are fairly affluent. In Sumter, the most
used drug is crack cocaine, according to Sumter Police Chief Patty
Patterson. But a legal drug presents the biggest problem in Sumter County.

"The drug we have the biggest problem with is a legal drug called alcohol,"
Sumter County Sheriff Tommy Mims said. "It always has and probably always
will be our biggest drug problem." Glenn Peagler, director of prevention at
the Sumter Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, agreed with Mims'
observation. "The most that we see is alcohol," he said. "That's a given.
Next would be crack cocaine and then marijuana." Capt. Bobby McDuffie of
the Lee County Sheriff's Department said, without a doubt, crack cocaine is
the drug of choice in Lee County. "Even though marijuana is starting to
make a comeback, crack cocaine is our biggest drug problem," he said. In
Clarendon County, Sheriff Keith Josey and Manning Police Chief Randy
Garrett agree crack cocaine is the most used drug. "It's like holes in a
dike," Garrett said. "You have this finger here and this toe in this hole
and as soon as you get those plugged, here comes another leak. It's not
something you can turn your back on and not work. We have to work it
because if we don't it's going to take over." Patterson stressed the very
same point about drugs in the Sumter area. "We want to eradicate the drug
activity, but we do realize it is a very difficult task at best," she said.
"It's something we have to work at daily. Unfortunately, it is not going
away, here or anywhere."

Who Are the Users?

"Drug users cross all classes," Josey said. "They know no races or
religions. They are everybody, rich, poor and in-between." Garrett agrees.
"Black, white, rich, poor, drugs know no boundaries," he said. Treatment
centers that are also government agencies don't see a lot of upper income
clientele, but according to Peagler, that doesn't mean they aren't out
there using drugs.

Statistics from the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug
Abuse Services show an increase from 2001 to 2002 in white males and white
females and a decrease in black males and black females seeking treatment
for drugs. The statistics also show males are bigger users than females
with those age 18 to 20 representing the biggest group followed closely by
those between the ages of 25 and 44. DAODAS statistics on alcohol users
seeking treatment represent a bigger disparity between races and sexes. In
2001 and 2002, 51 percent of those seeking treatment were white males.
Black males decreased from 25 percent in 2001 to 23 percent in 2002 while
females remained at 16 percent for the two-year period. Black females
increased from 5 percent in 2001 to 6 percent in 2002. And those between
the ages of 35 and 44 represented the largest segment seeking help. DAODAS
statistics show black males and females seek treatment for crack cocaine
treatment more often than white males and females. The number of black
males seeking treatment dropped from 40 percent in 2001 to 37 in 2002. The
number of black females seeking treatment remained at 23 percent during the
two-year period. White males seeking treatment stayed the same at 21
percent, while white females increased from 15 percent in 2001 to 18
percent in 2002. Statistics on the number of men seeking treatment for
marijuana usage dropped from 2001 to 2002. White males decreased from 38
percent to 37 percent and black males dropped from 35 percent to 32
percent. Black females remained the same at 10 percent; white females
showed an increase from 16 percent to 19 percent.

THE MONEY TO BUY Since law enforcement and treatment professionals agree
drugs are the biggest problem, where is the money coming from? "We see
women who have turned to prostitution, writing bad checks and stealing to
get the cash they need to buy their drugs," said Eula Chambers, master
social worker at the Lee Center. The men get the money for their drugs
primarily through stealing, she said. And, according to Garrett, drug users
will steal from anyone, even those to whom they are closest. "When they
have the need for drugs, it doesn't matter if they are stealing from their
family members, they will do it," he said. "Drugs tear lives apart," Josey
said. "Families, friends, co-workers ... everybody hurts."

The Court System

The court system and the manner in which prosecutors should deal with users
and sellers is the one area where opinions among law enforcement officials
and treatment professionals differ. Some believe there is a strong need for
stricter penalties, fines and jail time while others believe the focus
should be on educating jurors on drugs and addicts and the right way to
rehabilitate habitual offenders. "If jail is a deterrent, then more people
need to go to jail," Mims said. "In my opinion, the penalties and fines
need to be increased." Kirven would also like to see arrests and
convictions increase but she would also like for the families of the
addicts to seek treatment. Garrett doesn't think all of the blame can be
put on the judicial system for a simple reason: "It is overwhelmed." But,
he does believe repeat offenders should be dealt with strongly. "When you
have people who are continuing to deal drugs and show up in the court
system, it is time to quit playing with them," he said. "It's time to send
them away to do hard time." Patterson and Peagler stress the need for
educating jurors because courts don't turn the dealers back out on the
streets, the jurors do. "For whatever reason, jurors are letting drug
dealers go," Patterson said. "That is disheartening from a law enforcement
standpoint. When you have everything that is necessary for a good case but,
for whatever reason, the person goes to trial before a jury and one person
on that jury makes all the difference in the world on whether the defendant
is found guilty or not guilty." Patterson believes that by promoting
prevention and repeatedly making the public aware of the drug trade,
potential jurors will have a better understanding on which to base their
decisions. The problem, Peagler agrees, is residents on juries let the
culprits go. "The police department does their research, the defendant asks
for a jury trial, and the citizens on the jury let him go," he said.

What to Look For?

"Addicted people are extremely manipulative," Kirven said. "Many times
their families aren't aware there is a problem. I've seen two women
recently who have lived with men for three and four years and they never
knew there was a drug problem until the end." People might suspect
something, but they don't want to accept the reality, she said. A lot of
times parents won't know their children are using, she said. The parents
will see a change in grades or attitude, but like most people, they don't
want to believe that their child has a problem. Parents often look for
other reasons rather than getting their child drug tested and going from
there. According to DAODAS, one of the first signs that a teenager is
abusing drugs is he'll need more money. The teenager might become
secretive, moody, disinterested, and might acquire a new set of friends. To
keep children from trying drugs, parents should build up trust with their
children, get involved in their lives and develop a dialogue with them. But
if a drug problem becomes evident, don't hide from it, seek help
immediately for them and for the entire family, officials advise. Even
though adults are more adept at hiding their addictions than teenagers,
officials said, they exhibit some of the same signs of drug usage, the need
for more money and behavioral changes.

The Holiday Season

The holidays are a stressful time for people without dependencies but for
alcoholics and drug addicts, the period from Thanksgiving through the first
of the year is a very volatile time. "The holidays make people depressed,"
Kirven said. "They feel their life is out of control and either use more
drugs or drink more, which only adds to their depression. And sometimes the
depression leads to suicide." To help get through the holiday party season,
DAODAS has a booklet containing recipes for tasty and festive non-alcoholic
drinks and high-protein party foods. To receive a copy, contact THE
DRUGSTORE Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-942-DIAL.

Available Treatment

Since a lot of people are using more than one drug, Peagler said, he treats
the addiction and not the drug. Treatment professionals stress the need to
get help for the addict and family members. Different methods of treatment
are provided through day treatment programs, halfway houses, inpatient
treatment, residential treatment and specialized services. The county
offices of DAODOS will personalize a treatment program for a particular
individual. "We're here to help addicts get help," Chambers said. "If we
can't provide the proper services for them, we'll refer them to someone who
can." Kicking an addiction is not something a person can do alone.
Lifestyle changes have to occur for an addict to kick the habit. Addicts
must change their friends, where they hang out, and they desperately need
support from their families. "Addicts may think they can still hang out
with the same people and say no, but believe me, they will not be cured
until they stop associating with other addicts," Garrett said. "It's so
much better when families confront an issue and seek help before something
terrible happens," Kirven said.