We all grew up watching police shows that were set in places like New York City and Los Angeles, California. Those terrible drug addicts were at it again: killing someone in one episode, and getting themselves killed in the next. The law shows were the same. Somebody would overdose and the police would arrest the dealer and try to find out who was the kingpin behind the whole thing. A couple of shoot-outs and car crashes later, the problem was solved and peace came temporarily to the neighborhood.
It was certainly enough to make most of us not want to move to any big cities though! It seemed like LSD and heroin and cocaine were things that happened in other places, not here.
Well, it’s not true. It does happen here, and not just in Wheeling, either. But currently the main culprit isn’t the illegal drugs so much as it is the legal ones.
That’s why Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin started a series of discussion groups across the state so that people can learn about, and talk about what is happening in their areas. On Monday, June 27, 2011 the first roundtables were held in Beckley and Bluefield and on Tuesday they moved over to Bridgeport. Jefferson County was next, on Wednesday, and others will follow.
Tomblin’s spokeswoman Kimberly Osborne said, "The governor wanted to hold these roundtable discussions throughout the state so he can hear directly from the police, sheriffs, city and county leaders, et cetera as to what they are experiencing.”
In Beckley, the Beckley Police Lt. Gant Montgomery said that there is an escalating problem with illegal use of prescription drugs. "We're fighting a legal drug. Drugs don't get shipped in from other countries. We're fighting a legal drug that's killing us, that's destroying communities. I do think we're going to have work together.'' He is afraid that it is about to spiral out of control.
Prescription drug abuse is out of control all over the United States. A 13 year old boy died after participating in a “pill party” with his clueless middle school friends, and many senior citizens have accidentally overdosed because they didn’t know how much they could take or didn’t pay attention. Addicts are breaking in and stealing pills from peoples’ homes and selling them for about $60/pill on the street.
Acting Governor Tomblin plans to appoint a task force to determine how to deal with it. In the meantime, educating people as to what is happening in their own backyard is a good way to start.
