DRUG CRISIS TARGET OF SWVa MEETING

TAZEWELL, Va. - With the prolonged OxyContin crisis slowly moderating,
officials in Tazewell County say they are now bracing for the next
wave of drug abuse to hit Southwest Virginia. A community meeting will
be held Monday at 7 p.m. at Richlands Middle School to discuss the
ongoing drug crisis in the county.

The meeting is being sponsored by the Substance Abuse Task Force in
Rural Appalachia, and all concerned parents, teachers and interested
citizens are urged to attend, according to Commonwealth Attorney Dennis Lee.

Following a near epidemic crisis, Lee said the abuse of OxyContin in
the county is slowly moderating.

"It's less of a problem than it has been in the past, but its
certainly still a problem and a reoccurring problem," Lee said. "It
has sort of plateaued. I think a lot of it has to do with the media
and public awareness. It (the original crisis) sort of blindsided
everyone. I think all of the attention it has received from the media
has been helpful, and I think all of our officers have done a very
good job in bringing up charges and making arrests against a number of
individuals."

Lee said literature, handouts and resource information on substance
abuse prevention and treatment will be distributed at Monday's
community meeting.

At the meeting, law enforcement officials also will discuss the "next
wave" of drug abuse expected to hit the region.

Lee said local and state officials fear the next wave of drug abuse
will center around hallucinogenic drugs, including the so-called party
drugs like Ecstasy.

"I think we already are starting to see signs of it," Lee said. "There
is a whole different sub-culture and lifestyle to go along with it."

"Ecstasy is a strong drug - a hallucinogenic along the lines of LCD,
but a little bit less potent. It has become very popular."

The participants in Monday's community meeting include the Tazewell
County Narcotics Task Force, the Virginia State Police Drug Diversion
Unit, the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department, the Tazewell County
School Board, the Richlands Police Department, the Commonwealth
Attorney's office, Cumberland Mountain Community Services, the
Virginia National Guard Drug Task Force, the Laurels, the Life Center
of Galax, the Governor's Office on Substance Abuse Prevention,
D.A.R.E., the Tazewell County Office on Youth, the Tazewell County
Probation office, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and local medical
professionals, pastors and concerned citizens.