Central and Eastern Kentucky
(2010-02-09)
MOREHEAD, KY (WEKU) - The head of a drug treatment program in Portsmouth, Ohio says a multi-state approach is needed to stem the drug addiction problem in the Appalachian region.
The Counseling Center President Ed Hughes says southern Ohio, eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia have become the eye of a "perfect storm" for drug abuse, particularly prescription medications.
Hughes believes there's also been a proliferation of "pill mills", which he says are illegal operations trying to pass themselves off as pain clinics. He says, without a coordinated response that crosses state lines, the various counties in the Appalachian region, will simply push the problem from one neighborhood to another.
© Copyright 2012, WEKU
