Hearing those words, that’s when graphic designer Stephanie Warner designed the logo at right, and you’ll be seeing that logo on every story in the future dealing with Scioto County’s prescription drug abuse problem.
The Portsmouth Daily Times has had ongoing coverage of this problem since October 2009 when representatives from the Ohio Department of Health came to Portsmouth to conduct a Regional Meeting on the prescription drug overdose epidemic.
As we told you in Tuesday’s edition, Scioto County is listed on the U.S. Drug Force Administration’s watch list of the 10 most significant places in the nation for trafficking in illegal prescriptions for painkillers and other narcotics. On the heels of learning this information, we continue our coverage. Today’s edition includes two reports — one by PDT Staff Writer Sam Piatt who takes a look at the special set of problems for law enforcement when they arrest and jail an addict.
Additionally, PDT Staff Writer Frank Lewis spoke with Lisa Roberts, R.N., public health nurse, and Bob Walton Jr. about the newly formed Scioto County Prescription Drugs Action Team.
In the weeks ahead, other stories we’re working on include the coverage of the Feb. 26 meeting of the Drug Task Force; health issues associated with the community’s drug abuse problem, and efforts by the local Chamber of Commerce through a letter-writing campaign to alert our state representatives to the problems in Scioto County associated with prescription drug abuse. Finally, in weeks ahead, we’ll feature some personal stories from those who have been affected by prescription drug abuse and profile the services available in our community that offer help.
DEBORAH DANIELS can be reached at ddaniels@heartlandpublications.com.
While the H1N1 virus received so much attention, why shouldn't other virus's that are killing people today get equal time?
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