WV Senate Addresses Prescription Drug Abuse with Seven New Bills

West Virginia has a serious problem with prescription drug abuse, and the West Virginia Senate is trying to address it.

Seven bill have been introduced this week, the Associated Press said. The bills' measures include forcing prescriptions to be made on tamper-proof paper and providing pharmacists a controlled substances database. The AP said that the bills fall short in terms of treatment.

"This is a start, this is not a finish," said Sen. Evan Jenkins, D-Cabell County.

WV Senate Addresses Prescription Drug Abuse with Seven New Bills

West Virginia has a serious problem with prescription drug abuse, and the West Virginia Senate is trying to address it.

Seven bill have been introduced this week, the Associated Press said. The bills' measures include forcing prescriptions to be made on tamper-proof paper and providing pharmacists a controlled substances database. The AP said that the bills fall short in terms of treatment.

"This is a start, this is not a finish," said Sen. Evan Jenkins, D-Cabell County.

Prevention Focus of March 26 Summit

The Ohio Valley Chapter of the State Health Education Council is sponsoring a workshop called "Current Trends in Community Health: Prevention is Key" on March 26 at the Mountainside Conference Center in Bethany.

The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Participants will:

-- Learn strategies to increase public awareness of potential health threats without causing panic in the community.
-- Understand the dynamics of novel illness and social settings.
-- Recognize some of the symptoms and signs of the H1N1 and flu virus.
-- Understand what to do and who to contact if they suspect the presence of H1N1/flu virus.
-- Recognize the symptoms and signs of prescription drug abuse in children and adults.
-- Gain knowledge of the dangers and economic impact prescription drug abuse has on WV families and communities.
-- Understand what to do and who to contact if they suspect prescription abuse.
-- Discuss the appeal of using depressants, stimulants and/or opiods.
-- Understand effects of stress on the mind and body.
-- Identify and implement ways to manage stress.
-- Identify high-risk behaviors that result in increased incidence of STDs.
-- Identify the signs and symptoms of the most common STDs.
-- Identify ways to protect from STDs.

The presenters include Dara Pond, Region VI coordinator for the West Virginia Adolescent Health Initiative; Karen McClain, administrator of Brooke County Health Department and director of the Bethany College Community Wellness Program; John Walters, coordinator/director the Northern West Virginia Health Education Center; Anne Martin, community development specialist with the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center; Carole Scheerbaum, certified prevention specialist through the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals; and Patricia A. Owens, director of nursing for the Marshall County Health Department.

The cost of the workshop is $35. The registration deadline is Friday, March 19. Five hours of continuing education units have been applied for from the following professional organizations: WV Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals; WV Board of Examiners in Counseling; WV Nursing Board; WV Board of Social Work Examiners; and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Five hours of CEUs have been applied for WV STARS through the Northern Panhandle Head Start.

For more information, call Carole Scheerbaum at (304) 564-3805.

WV Prisons in Crisis; Substance Abuse Prevention Solutions Brought Forward

The state's prison system is in crisis, West Virginia Public Broadcasting said in a report this week.

With a population that has quadrupled in 20 years, there is no space at the 14 correctional facilities and regional jails are filling in. And in the near future, the crisis will get even bigger. Projections call for 8,500 inmates by the end of 2010 and 10,300 in 2017, up from 6,500 today. Many of them are for nonviolent crimes like substance abuse and theft, WVPB said.

A governor-appointed commission is asking for shorter sentences for less offenses, along with better substance abuse programs to keep people from criminal activity.

"The commission proposes increased funding for the state's 13 comprehensive behavioral health centers, increased funding for the state's nine Opioid treatment programs, and the addition of four 20-bed detoxification units, eight 10-bed long-term substance abuse treatment programs, and two transitional living programs," WVPB said.

Community Needs To Help Stop Prescription Drug Misuse, Drug Summit Told

One of the messages of Thursday night's Cabell County Drug Prevention Summit was the importance of the community in combating prescription drug abuse.

The Herald-Dispatch said that several speakers said parents, friends and relatives need to be aware of the dangers of prescription drug misuse and be alert to it.

"Law enforcement is an important component to the process, but it's not the solution to the problem," Huntington police chief Skip Holbrook said. "The partnerships and relationships we develop (and) this type of forum is what makes our community successful."

The summit, Cabell County's fourth annual, capped a daylong series of meetings about substance abuse prevention and treatment in the southern West Virginia county.

"I think the biggest benefit is that there is a community awareness now about the drug problem we have," Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership member Tim White told WSAZ-TV.