Pubdate: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV) Copyright: 2005 Charleston Daily Mail Contact: http://www.dailymail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/76 Author: George Gannon OFFICIALS CONVENE SUMMIT ON METH Monday April 25, 2005 Trying to address a drug crisis that has taken West Virginia by storm, the state's first statewide methamphetamine starts today in Charleston. Sponsored by Gov. Joe Manchin's office and U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner, "West Virginia Together: Building Meth-Free Communities" will bring together local, state and federal agencies to discuss the drug and develop more effective ways to deal with the problem. Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford said conferences like this are important because they give his officers a chance to see how other places already plagued by the drug have handled the problem. "We're getting pretty adept at how to deal with this stuff now, but we still have a lot to learn," he said. Warner said the main goal of the conference is to get more community organizations involved and working together on the crisis. Charleston Police Lt. Chuck Carpenter, the newly appointed head of the Metro Drug Unit, said the problem isn't as simple as police versus meth cooks. He said police, firefighters, paramedics and social service workers could all be involved in a response to a clandestine meth lab. He said the summit will be helpful in clearing up jurisdiction issues. "We just need to get together and discuss any issues we might have," Carpenter said. He also hopes the sessions will lead to some brainstorming and idea-sharing. The three-day event at the Charleston Marriott will feature workshops and seminars given by representatives from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, an epidemiologist from the National Jewish Medical Center, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and a substance abuse specialist from UCLA School of Medicine. Among the topics experts will cover are the environmental risks caused by meth labs, drug-endangered children, a statewide overview of the problem, the most effective way to treat addicts and the drug's national impact. Meth has grabbed headlines in West Virginia for the last few years, and combating the problem has been a major focus for many police agencies. The state Legislature recently passed a bill that would force stores to put products containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter. Also, anyone who purchases the material, which is the main ingredient for the home-cooked drug, must sign a form. Local stores are not waiting for Gov. Manchin to sign the bill into law. Retail giant Target recently announced a nationwide initiative to put all of its products containing the drug behind the counter. Several local pharmacies and department stores also have limited access to the medicine. Warner said it takes a comprehensive community response to fight the powerfully addictive drug. With meth tip lines established in three counties and prosecuting attorneys stepping up their efforts, Warner said local agencies are doing all they can. But it's important for them to see how the problem has been addressed in other parts of the country and to determine if those methods would be successful here. "We need to get these people together and share lessons learned," he said. Sharing ideas and strategies is important, but Warner said the ultimate goal of the summit is to hammer out a "nuts-and-bolts" strategy on how to deal with the meth problem in West Virginia. Warner said about 300 people are expected to attend the conference, which is not open to the public. However, a community forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the fifth-floor jury room of the Kanawha County Judicial Annex Building. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh