Meth summit shifts from talk to action (Oregon)

Goals include ways for victims and neighborhoods to fight back

The Daily Astorian

SEASIDE — A Meth Summit to develop strategies to fight the drug methamphetamine is happening from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Seaside Convention Center at 415 First Ave.

“This is really a call to action,” said Clatsop County County Commissioner Patricia Roberts. “You go because you have an interest in helping to change.”

The event is a follow-up to the February town hall meeting in Astoria.

Leaders from businesses, the faith community, treatment, law enforcement, government and others will attend.

The Public Safety Coordinating Council and the County Commission are sponsoring the event. Finding solutions for drug prevention and rehabilitation problems is one of the commissioners’ three priority goals for 2006.

The public is invited to attend and discuss strategies to prevent and treat meth addiction, improve public safety and protect children and families. Those attending will be broken up into groups to discuss the various topics, and each group will include a person trained in that field. People are asked to pre-register by e-mailing (methfree@co.clatsop.or.us) or calling Andrea Kennet at 338-3759.

Roberts said the goal is to provide concrete, tangible answers to problems and steps that individuals can take. For instance, she said law enforcement discussions may include what citizens should do when they have been the victim of a car break-in or burglary or if there is a suspected meth house in their neighborhood.

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