Document text
54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 3, 2005 Town hall addresses local meth problem Two town-hall sessions to discuss methamphetamine abuse in southwest Oregon will be held on Feb. 11 in Medford and Feb. 12 in Grants Pass. Called for by 2nd Congressional District Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, the sessions will include a discussion of what can be done to stop the drug abuse that leads to community-wide problems. The Medford session will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at the City Council chambers at 411 W. Eighth St. The chambers are on the third floor. The Grants Pass event is scheduled for 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 12 in the Ann Basker Auditorium, 604 N.W. Sixth St. The public is encouraged to attend. The drug is being abused at a growing rate throughout the vast congressional district that includes all of Oregon east of the Cascade Range as well as most of Jackson and Josephine counties, Walden said. Advertisement In 2004, the district, with 20 percent of the state’s population, had 35 percent of total meth lab busts in Oregon, he said. "With a combined total of 34 meth lab seizures in 2004 alone, both Jackson and Josephine counties find themselves afflicted by the growing scourge of methamphetamine," Walden said in a prepared statement. "It is not just those who use meth that pay a high price — we all pay for the ramifications of this toxic substance." Use of the illegal drug often results in dramatic increases in theft, violence, abused children and a growing cost in law enforcement, he said. "Meth is a highly addictive, destructive drug that we must combat at every level," he said. Joining Walden at the sessions will be Scott Burns, deputy director for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; Craig Campbell, senior policy adviser to Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski; and Kayleen Deathridge, staff member for Oregon Partnership and a member of the Governor’s Methamphetamine Task Force. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters and county Health and Human Services Director Hank Collins will attend the Medford meeting while Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniels and Rick Jones of Choices Counseling Center will attend in Grants Pass. "This drug affects us all," Walden warned. "I believe these forums will be very informative for everyone; the threats posed by this drug are too close for any of us to ignore." Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s