Prescription for Tragedy

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Prescription drug abuse is killing Kentuck-ians at record levels with deaths morethan doubling in the past decade to nearly1,000 a year, surpassing even traffic fatal-ities.

The number of Kentuckians who havedied from prescription drug overdoses rosefrom 403 in 2000 to 978 in 2009, the latestyear available. By contrast, traffic crasheskilled 791 Kentuckians in 2009.

But even as the states prescription drug problem ex-plodes, the money to fight the epidemic is drying up, with

budgets for key agencies and programs that work to pre-vent, control and treat drug abuse being cut by millions ofdollars, a Courier-Journal investigation found.

The massive cuts have severely depleted some agen-cies and ended other efforts, law enforcement and ad-vocates say, including:The Office of Drug Control Policy, a state agency

that coordinates much of Kentuckys fight against drugs,saw its state funding drop from $8.6 million in 2008 to$6.5 million in 2010, forcing its staff to shrink from 10 tofour employees.Kentuckys family and juvenile drug courts creat-

ed to help new addicts stay out of prison and mend theirfamilies were eliminated as of Jan. 1 to save the state

PRESCRIPTION

FOR TRAGEDY

FUNDS TO FIGHT A DRUG EPIDEMIC CUT

EVEN AS ABUSE OF MEDICINES KILLS

RECORD NUMBER OF KENTUCKIANS

B Y L A U R A U N G A R A N D E M I L Y H A G E D O R N T H E C O U R I E R - J O U R N A L

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FRANKFORT, Ky. In this gubernatorial electionyear, dont expectthe General Assemblyto pass muchmajor legislation.

Most of the Republican Senates priority bills thatpassed in early January are dying

in the Democratic House.DemocraticGov.SteveBeshearis promoting just two bills, andtheyve been ridiculed by Repub-lican Senate President David Wil-liams, who hopes to replace Be-shear as governor after the No-vember election.

I wouldexpect probably not agreat deal will pass consideringthe situation with the governorsrace, said Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville. The outlook mostpundits areputtingon this sessionis stalemate.

But common ground may befound on at least a few significantbills, interviews withBeshear, Wil-liams, Democratic House SpeakerGregStumboand otherlawmakers

show.

KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY2011 OVERVIEW

Major billsface hurdles,but somemay advanceBy Tom [email protected] Courier-Journal

SPECIALSECTIONINSIDERead more aboutthe sessions topissues in a legisla-tive previewsection today.

See SESSION, A14, col. 1

SUNDAYPRINTEXCLUSIVE

Available onlyin your print

edition today.

P A R T O N E O F T H R E E

Jason Schuler, a forkliftdriverwhos been out of work almosttwo years, has been reluctant totake part-time or temporarywork, for fear that he would netless than his weekly unemploy-ment checks of about $300 orwould be unable to collectchecks atall oncethe workend-ed.

Schuler, a 35-year-old Hill-view resident, said he didnt

know that Kentucky law allowsworkers to continue claimingbenefits even after short-termwork,orthattheycanreceiveun-employment checks that makeup the difference between thetemporaryjobpayandwhattheyhad gotten in unemployment.

I had no idea, said Schuler,who iswaitingon his lastunem-ployment checkafter nearly twoyears of collecting it. I figuredtheyd justcut youoff.

Itsa key point ata timewhenmore workersare mired in long-termjoblessness thanin anypre-vious economic downturn since

Confusion, lowpay keep some

on jobless aidBy Chris [email protected] Courier-Journal

See JOBLESS, A13, col. 1

TODAY

Prescription drug abuse is killing Kentuckians atrecord levels, but theres less money to fight theepidemic.

TOMORROW

Bell County has the worst prescription drug deathrate in the state, and the problem is growing inLouisville.

TUESDAYKentucky children are caught in a tragic web ofprescription drug abuse, which can destroy families.

INSIDE

Kentucky has too few treatment centers forprescription drug addicts. A7An aspiring artist, Sarah Shay was getting her lifetogether when she died from a prescription drugoverdose at age 19. A8A closer look at overdose death rates and howsome drugs affect the body. A9

ON THE WEB

Watch videos featuring people who have lost lovedones to addiction at: courier-journal.com/drugabuse

ABOUT THE SERIES

JOBS FOR THE FUTURE

PART 4 OF 12

Photo illustration of Oxycodone by Michael Clevenger, The Courier-Journal

Editors note:Today The Courier-Journal features thefourth of 12 Sundaystories that focus onLouisville-area em-ployment. Wellprovide informationand tips to helpnavigate a challeng-ing job market. Also,the newspapersemployment classi-

fieds move to themain news sectionon Sundays and offeradvice from expertsat CareerBuilder.

MORE ONLINEGo to courier-jour-nal.com/jobgrowthfor more coverageand tips, includingcareer-advice videos,tips on writing acover letter andrsum, going to a

job interview, net-working and more.

COUNTDOWN BEGINS

Check out our guide tothe horses and stablesto watch, includingJuvenile champ Uncle Mo

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Love UofL and hate Big Blue?Or cant stand Big Red? Go toRedNBlueFans.com and leteveryone know.

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P A R T O N E O F T H R E EPRESCRIPTION FORTRAGEDY

budget $1.5 million a year.OperationUNITE, a nonprofitagency

that U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers formed to fightchronic drug abuse plaguing his 29-county5th District in Eastern Kentucky, saw itsbudget slashed from$10.3 million in 2007-08to $4.6 million the following year after theDepartment of Justice pulled its funding. Asa result, the agency has 23 detectives, abouthalf as many as in 2007, and 17 school sub-stance-abuse counselors, down from 31.

Lawmakers say theres little chance thatfunding will increase until the economysig-nificantly improves.

Thecuts haveunderminedthe stateswaron prescription drug abuse, meaning fewerpolice on the streets, counselors in theschools and treatmentprograms foraddicts.The result has been more crime, crowdedjails and families torn apart.

That comes in a state that already wastrailingmuchof thenationin itsspendingtocombat drugabuse. The roughly$32 millionKentucky spends on drug treatment hasntchangedin a decade averaging about $7.50perresident, less than a fourth of what somestates spend.

Karen Shay, a dentist in Morehead, losther 19-year-old daughter, Sarah, to a drugoverdose in 2006.

Shaysaid her daughter, an aspiring artist,had started pulling her life together afterfighting addiction and enrolling at More-head State University.

But she left home with friends Jan. 3,

2006, and the next morning, she was pro-nounced dead. Methadone, Xanaxand alco-hol were found in her system.

Thingswill neverbe normal,said Shay,a widowwithone son. Its beendevastatingtomy family. When somethinglikethathap-pens, it just devastates your whole life.

Eastern Kentucky feels the most pain.Bell County has a prescription drug

death rate of 54 per100,000, ranking it high-est in Kentucky and eighth among nearly1,400 counties nationwide with reliable sta-tistics. Advocates say theyve seen residentsin the county start abusing prescriptiondrugs as young as 9.

Addicts work 24/7 figuring out how toget more pills. They take food from theirchildrens mouths. Theyre breaking intochurches, said Sharon Teaney, co-directorof theLighthouse Mission Center, which of-

fers outreach services to the homeless anddrug addicted in Bell County.Breathitt County officialssaid theyspend

a quarter of the countys $4 million budgeton jails, housing mostly criminals involvedin prescription drug abuse. And four of the12 participants in a recent grief supportgroupin LeeCountycame because they lostloved ones to prescription drug abuse.

Its a difficultthing to acceptwhen wereseeing kids in the situations theyre in andpeople dying, said Karen Kelly, director ofOperation UNITE. We want people to un-derstand the depth of this problem. If theyreally understood the depthof thisissue andhow many people are dying, they would beabsolutely outraged.

PAINKILLERS KILL

Kentucky drug deathssoared in past decade

Throughout the United States, painkill-ers are driving up overdose deaths fasterthan any other drugs, said Sherry Green,chief executive officer of the New Mexico-based National Alliance for Model StateDrug Laws.

But in few places are the stakes higher

than in Kentucky which a Forbes reportlastyear ranked as the fourth most-medicat-ed state in the nation.

The states prescription drug deaths in2003-07 ranked Kentucky 12th among allstates, according to federal statistics thenewspaper analyzed.

While the Louisville region hoversaround the national averagefor such deaths,the states Appalachian region has a fataloverdose rate of 26.3 deaths per 100,000 nearly twiceas high as therestof thenation.

Appalachia is particularly hard-hit be-cause a lack of recreation and employmentopportunities have created a sense of inevi-tability about drug abuse, officials said.

Poverty is high and graduation rates arelow. Forexample, 43.3percent of residentsinClay County live in povertyand 41.2 percentover age 25 have not graduated from highschool, the Census Bureau reports. Thenumbers are only slightly better in nearbycounties.

Beyond the stark environment, Rogersand others point at pharmaceutical compa-nies such as Purdue Pharma, maker ofOxyContin as a culprit.

Court records havedocumented how thecompany sought out doctors who pre-scribed high numbers of pain pills, some-times with limited training in treating seri-ouspain a strategy that made Appalachia

a target. According to court records, thecompany misled doctors and patients byclaiming the drug was less likely to beabused than traditional narcotics.

Through a federal case brought by the Justice Department, a company affiliatedwith Purdue Pharma and three top Purdueexecutives pleaded guilty in 2007, paid mil-lions in fines and acknowledged misleadingphysicians in a plea deal.

Along with OxyContin, some of thedrugs most frequently found in thebloodofoverdose victims areXanax, methadoneandmorphine.

A typical addict takes four 80-milligramOxyContinpills a day, which at roughly $120each on the street means a weekly habitcosting $3,360 much more than otherdrugs, saidDan Smoot, directorof lawenfor-cement for Operation UNITE, which stands

for Unlawful Narcotics Investigations,Treatment and Education.Pam and Steve Sulfridge, who both be-

came addictedto painkillers after they wereprescribed them, said they soon hada $500-a-day habit that drained their savings, theirretirement, their 401(k) a total of half amillion dollars in five years.

Addictionis just a devil waiting for youto give it half an opportunity, half a chance,said Pam Sulfridge, who is sober now.

Manyaddicts turnto theftand traffickingto feed their increasingly expensive habit.

According tothe mostrecentreportfromthe Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabi-net, prescription drug-related offenses rose14 percent to 3,082 from 2007 to 2008 al-most a third of them thefts. Prescriptiondrug-relatedcases in Kentuckys circuit anddistrict courts rose 8 percent to 7,466 be-tween 2004 and 2008, the report said.

The cost of jailing prescription drugcriminals is siphoning money from other

needs in many small, poor communities.In Bell County, for example, the largest lo-cal allocation of tax dollars, $1.1 million, paysfor thecounty jail, which officialssaid mostlyhouses peopleconvicted of prescription drugand methamphetamine-related crimes.

Officials worry that the problem willcontinue to grow because pills are easy toget. Most often,they come from street deal-ers, unattended medicine cabinets or doc-tors in otherstates, officials andaddictssaid.

A TOOL AGAINST ABUSE

Prescription databasenot often utilized

Kentucky has made some inroads in en-suring that doctors prescribe pills properly.

The state has what experts call a modelonline database that doctors, police andpharmacists can use to find a patients pre-scription history of controlled substances.Its called Kentucky All Schedule Prescrip-tion Electronic Reporting, or KASPER, andhelps combat doctor shopping when anaddict moves fromdoctor to doctor, seekingmore medication.

Also, the Kentucky Board of Medical Li-censure has cracked down on pill-pushingdoctors; Public Citizen ranked the boardthird-toughestin thenationfor itsrateof se-rious disciplinary actions.

But KASPER is underused; 27.5 percentof doctors and 16 percent of pharmacistsused it in 2009 even thoughitsfree to them.

And a growing number of addicts getaround the increased scrutiny by taking In-terstate 75to Florida,where theregulation ofpain-pill prescriptions and the doctors who

prescribe them is much more lax.You have flocks of people from Ken-tucky who flock down to Florida, said Sgt.Stan Salyards with the Louisville Metro Po-liceDepartmentsnarcotics unit. Weve gotvideo of thesepeople with Kentucky licenseplates actually sitting in the doctors lots.

Its impossible to know exactly howmuch is spent fighting prescription drugabuse in Kentucky because dozens of agen-ciesare involved fromlocal,state and fed-

eral law enforcement to professional licens-ing boards to courts and nonprofits andthemoney is oftentied inwith fundsto fightillegal drugs.

Sometimes budgets arent broken downby state, as in the case of the U.S. Drug En-forcement Agency.

Somanypeopleown a pieceof theprob-lem; its hard to get a handle on how muchmoney were spending, said Van Ingram,executive directorof the KentuckyOffice ofDrug Control Policy.

But no one disputes that many key agen-ciesin Kentucky, including his,have seenbigcuts. Ingrams office charged with coor-dinating Kentuckys substance abuse en-forcement, treatment, prevention and edu-cation saw its state allocation drop $2.1million from 2008 to $6.5 million in 2010.

Drug task forces in various Kentuckycommunities experienced deep reductionsas federal grants funneled through the statedrug policy office were cut.

The Somerset-based Lake CumberlandArea Drug Task Force, for example, saw acontinual decline in its budget, which is$162,000 this year, down from $180,000 theyear before. Director David Gilbert said heexpects to lay offone of four federally fund-ed agents in the spring, which he said willlead to a large drop in the 300-350 cases ayear agents now handle and less emphasison street-level dealers in favor of mid-levelones.

That will surely upset residents, he said,because from the publics perspective, theworst drug dealer in the country is the one

on your block.It affects your quality of life.Operation UNITE also gets far lessmoney than it used to.

At itsheightin 2006-2007, itsbudget wasalmost $11 million; in fiscal 2009-10, it was$5.6 million.

Director Karen Kelly said theyve had toeliminate a diversion team that investigateddoctor-shopping and over-prescribing; itsmembers were among 15 employees laid offin one day in 2008.

Theyve also halved the budget for com-munity coalitions thatrun programssuch asfishing and archery initiatives designed togive young people alternatives to drugs meaning fewer programsservingfewerkids.

Also,there are nowfive counties withoutUNITE-funded drug counselors in theschools;in thepast, eachcountythat UNITEserves had at least one.

CREATIVE CHOICESAgencies set prioritiesin effort to keep going

Obviously, its frustrating, the agencysSmoot said, but the remaining staff is push-ing on. Weve just tightened our belts andgot back to work, quite frankly.

Officials with Attorney General JackConways office say theyve done much thesame,though hisbudgethas been cut25 per-cent since he took over in 2008.

Although officials couldnt separate howmuch is spent on prescription drug abuse inparticular, the money it gets from the stategeneral fund dropped from $14.3 million in2008 to $10.8 million budgeted for 2012. Theoffice lost one of its six drug investigators.

Still, like other agencies, the office hastried to find creative ways to get around itsbudget losses.Forexample, it soughtand re-ceived a $50,000 grant from a national non-profit agency in 2009 to launch a statewidedrug diversion task force.

Other hard-hit programs include a spe-cial drug courtwithin some family andjuve-nile court systems. A budget shortfall this

TRAGEDY | Funds to fight prescription drug abuse cut as deaths set recordContinued from A1

Photos by Scott Utterback, The Courier-Journal

Karen Shay visits the mausoleum where her daughter, Sarah, and husband, Phil, were laid to rest. See and hear Karen Shay in a video at www.courier-journal.com/drugabuse.

Story continues next page

The ashes of Sarah Shays father, Phil Shay, are with Sarah inside her coffin. Its beendevastating to my family, Karen Shay said of her daughters death from a drug overdose.When something like this happens, it just devastates your whole life.

A6 | SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2011 | THE COURIER-JOURNAL MT-

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THE COURIER-JOURNAL | SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2011 | A7KY-

year forced the state to abolish the much-

touted programthat providedintensive helpfor parents with drug issues. Judge Eleanore Garber, of Jefferson

County Family Court, said the programthere served about 40 clients a year and in-cluded meetings with the court, counseling,parenting classes and drug screenings. Cli-ents who could work also had to get jobs.

There was a far lower rate of petitionsfor abuse or neglect for people who wentthrough drug court, she said. People gotjobs faster and were self-sufficient. It wasthe most successful drug program for thoseseeking reunification withtheir childrenbe-cause it was stricter than others.

A few programs, such as KASPER, havemanaged to holdtheir ownf inancially. Aftera one-time capital expenditure in 2008 toupgrade the system, its budget has hoveredaround $1.5 million a year.

The money the Kentucky State Policespent on criminal investigations 98 per-cent of which is spent on drug-relatedcrimes has actually risen in the past fiveyears, Lt. David Jude said. It was$1.06 million in fiscal 2009 and $1.33 millionin 2010.

Still, the number of investigators lookinginto drug crimeshas gone down through at-trition, said Trooper John Hawkins, of theagencys public affairs branch. Roughly 800troopersare on theroadtoday, he said, com-pared with almost 1,000 five years ago.

Not only are our posts not fully staffed,but our investigation sections arent fullystaffed, he said. Were not utilizing themoney wehave on salaries.Were usingit forinvestigations to maintain the things wehave.

To lessen the impact, the state police

have partnered with local departments, de-putizing 27 local officers statewide in thepast four years 13in Eastern Kentuckyto work on drug task forces, with statewidejurisdiction, Hawkins said.

But overall, Ingram said, resources aregetting harder to find. And lawmakers saytheresno immediaterestoration of fundsonthe horizon.

Gov. Steve Beshear said his focus has

beenset on attracting and growing jobs inKentucky and on keeping our state budgetbalanced while still protecting our core pri-orities of educationand helping our familiessurvive this devastating economic down-turn. As revenues increase and this reces-sion subsides, my administration will con-tinue to take a holistic approach to theissueof fighting prescription drug abuse. Thatmay include reviewing funding for pro-grams targeting prescription drug abuse,and will certainly include a continued focuson education, job creation and public health all areas which will have a dramatic im-pact on the problem.

State Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said

the biggest priority in Frankfort now is, byfar, jobs, jobs, jobs, andmoney will only beputtoward theprescriptiondrug fightiftheeconomy improves and we have moneyavailable.

Rogers said he knows of no efforts inCongress to put more money toward theprescription drug fight, although he saidUNITEhas a strong, nationalreputationandcan compete for existing grant money and

private donations.We areina very, veryausteremoderight

now, Rogers said, noting that earmarks,which have partly funded UNITE in thepast, are out of the question. The nationalinteresthas got tocome first. Were in a fed-eral budget crisis.

HEAVY IMPACT

Unbelievably lowspending spells misery

Resources havelongbeen lackingwhen itcomes to drug treatment in Kentucky.

Robert Walker, an assistant professor at

theUniversityof KentuckysCenteron DrugandAlcoholResearch, saidfundingfortreat-ment has beenvirtually static for well overa decade, with $32 million from a federalblock grant program, the federal portion ofMedicaid and state funds going into publi-cally funded substance abuse treatment inKentucky.

Thatamountsto about$7.50 per resident,abouta fourthof theper-person spendingin

Delaware and a seventh of per-personspending in Washington, D.C. two placeswith high spending.

The budget picture for Kentucky hasbeen truly weak for several years, Walker

said. Our funding is so unbelievably low.Walker said waiting lists for residential

treatment average two to three weeks andcanbe upto threemonths.And a federalsur-veyindicatedthat lessthan 8 percentof Ken-tuckians who likely need substance-abusetreatment get it in a state-funded program.

The Rev. Donnie Coots of Viper,Ky., pas-tor of the Masons Creek Church of God,tried to boost the treatment options in hiscommunity. With his family, he founded atreatment center in honor of his son, JoshuaCoots, whodied in 2002 of health problemsrelated to his prescription drug addiction.

They called it Joshuas Dream.The orphanage-turned-rehab center was

builton 21acres atop a mountain. Cootssaidabout 500 clients went through there and

many benefitted from the tough love.ButJoshuas Dreamclosedin 2008,partly

because of funding issues. A fire recentlyripped through its remains.

In September, Coots stood among thesmoldering ruins of his familys dream asinged chimney and pieces of the founda-tion were all that remained of the once-im-pressive facility for male clients. In the rub-ble were signs of those who once stayedthere, including a weathered card from thegame ofLife.

It breaks your heart, said Coots, a for-mercoalminerwho said thecenters settingwaspart of its allure. Against the mountains,he said, problems get very much smaller.

He worries what will happen if the statefails to put a greater emphasis on the pre-scription drug problem he fears morepeoplewillbe lost,and thesadsuccessionof

funerals will continue.As a pastor, Ive done too many of them.

I cant do anymore, Coots said. Weve justabout lost a generation.

Reporter Laura Ungar can be reached at (502) 582-7190 or [email protected] Emily Hagedorn can be reached at (502)582-7086 or [email protected].


With family help, the Rev. Donnie Coots of Viper, Ky., founded a treatment center in honor of his son, Joshua Coots, who died of health problems related to drugs in 2002. About 500clients used it, but it closed in 2008, partly because of funding issues. Watch Coots in a video at www.courier-journal.com/drugabuse.

Continued from A6

The treatment center known as Joshuas Dream is in ruins and the target of constant vandalism.It breaks your heart, said the Rev. Donnie Coots, a former coal miner who said the centerssetting was part of its allure. Against the mountains, he said, problems get very much smaller.

WEVE JUST ABOUT LOST A GENERATION. ~ The Rev. Donnie Coots of Viper, Ky.

Oneof the most effective ways to reduceKentuckys rising problems with prescrip-tion drug deaths is through treatment anarea wherethestatefalls far short,healthex-perts and addicts agree.

Kentucky has too few treatment centers,they say, particularly forlong-term care akey to lasting recovery.

Treatment results in reduced drug use.So clearly, those who areat risk of drug-poi-soning death go way down, said RobertWalker, an assistant professorat the Univer-sity of KentuckysCenter on Drug andAlco-hol Research.

Addicts typically must wait two to threeweeks to get into a residential treatment

center, but it can take up to three months,Walker said.

A federalsurveyindicated thatless than8percentof Kentuckianswho likely needsub-stance-abusetreatment getit in a state-fund-ed program.

A UK report published in October saidthe state had 1,040 licensed, residential sub-stance-abuse treatment beds for adults, and17 of 37 centers offer long-term stays of 90days or more. There also are 14 recovery

centers, which provide housing and help foraddicts.

Jason Evans,a 35-year-oldrecoveringpre-scription drug addict who grew up in BellCounty, got treatmentat New Beginnings inDryden, Va., because a Kentucky programhe considered had a long waiting list.

He stayed for more than six months andgot sober. Staying that way is a daily battle,he and his mother, Joyce Evans, said.

When I got there, I was scared. Thedrugs had been my entire life, said Evans,who is a counselor-in-training at the center

andhas movedto Dryden. Thestaff andtheresidents, they took me andthey treated me

likefamily. Mylife has took a changefor thebetter.

Whilemany healthexperts saytreatmentis scarcest in Eastern Kentucky, they alsocontend thatthe Louisvillearea needsmore.The UK report lists 10 licensed adult-treat-ment centers and two adolescent inpatientsitesin theLouisville region.In EasternKen-tucky, there are about five licensed adult-treatmentcenters and three adolescent resi-dential centers.

Finding treatment is only part of theproblem,experts say. Lack of money andin-surance canbe barriers,as canlack of trans-portation, especially in rural areas with lesspublic transit.

Operation UNITE, an anti-drugprogramin Eastern Kentucky, runs a voucher pro-gram for low-income Kentuckians; Evansgot into treatment through that program.

Vouchers provide up to $3,000 for short-term treatment and up to $5,000 for long-term residential treatment. From June 2005through August 2010, the program provided$5.8 million in vouchers, spending about$75,000 a month.

Officialssaidtheyget1,200 callsa month,only a few of which involve people who areeligible or follow through. Theres a six-week wait list during the busiest times.

Sharon Teaney, co-director of the Light-

house Mission Center, which offers help fordrugaddicts inBell County, saidshe believesorganizations such as Operation UNITEaredoing what they can.

But the prescription drug abuseproblemis so bad, shesaid,theresjust not enoughhelp out there.

Reporter Laura Ungar can be reached at (502)582-7190.

Treatment is difficult for many to getBy Laura [email protected] Courier-Journal

By Scott Utterback, The Courier-Journal

Jason Evans, a 35-year-old recovering addict, got treatment in Virginia because a Kentuckyprogram had a long waiting list. Staying sober is a battle, he and his mother, Joyce Evans, said.

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WASHINGTON TheUnited States appealed Sun-day for an orderly transitionto lasting democracy inEgypt even as escalating vio-lence in the American allythreatenedMideast stability.

In Cairo, Egypts most

prominentdemocracy advo-cate took up a bullhorn andcalled for President HosniMubarak to resign, speakingto thousands of protesters

who defied a curfew for athird night. Fighter jetsstreaked low overhead andpolice returned to the capi-tals streets high-profiledisplays of authority over asituation spiraling out ofcontrol.

Reflecting growing con-cerns about Egypts stability,the State Department rec-

ommended that Americansleave the country as soon aspossibleand saidit is prepar-ed to evacuate thousands ofU.S. citizens on chartered

planes beginning today.Secretary of State HillaryRodham Clinton refused tospeculate on the future ofMubarak. But U.S. officials,she said, obviously want tosee people who are trulycommitted to democracy,not to imposing any ideolo-gy on Egyptians.

She warned against a

takeover resemblingthe onein Iran, with asmall groupthat doesnt represent thefull diversity of Egyptian so-ciety imposing its ideolog-

ical beliefs.Clintons commentscame asthe Obamaadminis-tration tried to get a handleon the fast-moving situationin Egypt, a criticalU.S.friendinthe long questfor peaceinthe Middle East. Left largelyunsaid is the growing fear

U.S. urges democracy for EgyptClinton: Avoidanother Iran

By Lolita C. BaldorAssociated Press

See EGYPT, A3, col. 2

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

A protester holds Egypts flag in Cairo on Sunday. The writingon the ground says: Leave you coward, we are not leaving.

When it comes to representa-tion on Louisvilles boards andcommissions, all neighborhoodsare not equal.

Of the more than 500 residentsappointed by the mayor to 60boards and commissions since the2003 merger,77 havecomefromtheMetro Councils District 8, in theHighlands.

But a few miles away in District15, which includes the IroquoisParkand Churchill Downs neighbor-hoods, only four residents havebeen appointed.

Its a disparity that exasperatesMetro Council members, and itsone that Louisvilles new mayor,Greg Fischer, says he will fix.

Aspart ofhispromisefora morediverse metro government, Fischersays he wants to do a better job ofappointingpeople fromall overJef-ferson County.

Geographic diversity will bring

vibrancy to the boards, and that is

Diversity

sought oncity panelsEast End areas havedisproportionate sayBy Dan [email protected] Courier-Journal

See BOARDS, Back page, col. 1

FRANKFORT, Ky. KentuckySenate President David Williamssays he looked to Georgia wherean independent groupof experts hasrecommended expanding thatstatessales tax to include groceries whilecutting corporate and individual in-cometaxes asa model for his ownapproach to comprehensive tax re-form.

Williams, a Republican fromBurkesville whois running forgover-nor, wants to move Kentuckys taxsystem from one that taxes produc-tion toward one that taxesconsump-tion, andhe said whats happeninginGeorgiaprovesthewayI wantto ap-proach itis theonly way itwillwork.

Williamslooks to Ga.for tax planBy Stephenie [email protected] Courier-Journal

See TAX, A2, col. 1

Deep in Kentuckys coal country, amid thePine and Cumberland mountains, BellCounty is a haven for hikers, fishermenand people seeking life in a small town.

But its also one of the deadliest placesin America for prescription drug abuse.

With roughly 54 deaths per 100,000people nearly four times the nationalaverage the far-southeastern county of30,000 residents has the worst prescrip-

tion drug death rate in the state and the eighth worst in thenation, according to federal statistics.

Everybodys hurting in our area, said Sharon Teaney,co-director of the Lighthouse Mission Center, which helpshomeless and drug-addicted people in Bell County. Every-body feels the pain.

The crisis strains local law enforcement and social serv-ices as it brings more crime, broken families and a steady


Steve and Pam Sulfridge were prescribed painkillers after he had knee surgery and she was hurt in a car accident. The Middlesboro couplebecame addicted to the prescription drugs. Over the course of five years, it cost them their savings, income, 401(k) and about $160,000 in backtaxes all told about half a million dollars. See them in a video at www.courier-journal.com/drugabuse.

BELL COUNTY DEVASTATED BY PRESCRIPTION DRUG DEATHS

B Y E M I LY H A G E D O R N A N D L AU R A U N G A R T H E C O U R I E R -J O U R N A L

S E E B E L L , A 4 , C O L . 1

PRESCRIPTION FORTRAGEDY P A R T T W O O F T H R E E

EVERYBODYFEELS THE PAIN

SUNDAYPrescription drug abuse is killing Kentuckians at recordlevels, but theres less money to fight the epidemic.TODAYBell County has the worst prescription drug death rate in thestate, and the problem is growing in the Louisville area.TOMORROWKentucky children are caught in a tragic web of prescriptiondrug abuse, which can destroy families, but an army ofpeople are battling the drug problem.ON THE WEBWatch videos of recovering addicts Steve and Pam Sulfridgeand of Covenant United Methodist Church Pastor Phil Hill atwww.courier-journal.com/drugabuse

ABOUT THE SERIES

Follow Jody Demling atcourier-journal.com/recruiting as he brings youthe latest recruiting newsand scoops on whoscoming and whos not.

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stream of funerals.Between 2003 and 2007, 79

Bell County residents died fromprescription drug overdoses,according tothe mostrecentfeder-al statistics available.Sheriff Bruce Bennett esti-

mates that 98 percent of the coun-tys crimeis drug-related, withpre-scriptiondrugs being a major con-tributor.One of Bell Countys biggest

expense is its jail, costing$1.1 million annually to incarceratethe pill pushers, drug traffickersand addicts who steal for moneywho are filling many of the cells,county officials said.Roughly 3.5 percent of Bell

County grandparents are raisingtheir grandchildren, almost twicethe state average and much higherthanthe nationalaverage of1.4 per-

cent, according to U.S. Census Bu-reau surveys. In most cases, theyare raising the children becausethe parents are drug addicts, Tea-ney said, who knows an 80-year-old grandfather raisingthree small children.

The epidemic afflicts residentsof every income level.

Steve and Pam Sulfridge wereprescribed painkillers after he un-derwent knee surgery andshe wasinjured in a car wreck. The pre-scriptions cost roughly $20 each.

But the Middlesboro couple be-came addicted to the drugs, and iteventually cost them their savings,income, 401(k) and about $160,000inbacktaxes alltoldabout half amillion dollars over five years.

They arein recovery andhave hadto rebuild their lives andmarriage.Were paying for our mistakes

every day, said Pam Sulfridge,who, along with her husband, hasbeen drug-free for five years.

Expertspoint to severalreasonsfor Bell Countys high rate of pre-scription drug deaths few goodjobs, little for young people to doand easy access to other statessuch as Florida, Virginia and Ten-nessee, where prescription drugsare easier to get.

Teaney said Kentucky officialsneed to make the fight againstdrugs in her region a priority.

We desperately need help shesaid. It seems like its gettingworse, not better.

LOCAL IMPACT

Grocerys goods oftentargeted by thieves

As one of Pinevilles only groc-ery stores, Longs Pic Pac is a sta-ple, a neighborhood market thathas grown with the Bell Countytown, helping out in disasters andcelebrating its recent renovationwith a community event.

But the prescription drugabuseepidemic has changed the store,saidmanagerMike Long,whose fa-ther openedthe marketa half-cen-tury ago.

Hes had to install roughly$75,000worthof cameras,tag scan-

ners and other security equipmentto curb ongoing thefts of as muchas $100,000 worth of merchandisea year, he said.

The impact can even be foundin the stores meat cooler. Steaks,along with baby formula, are fre-quent targets for thieves, who selltheitemsto smaller shops forcashfor prescription drugs, Long said.Hes even found his merchandise

on other stores shelves.Ouritems in herehavebecomebarter, he said.

Long said hes also seen the ef-fects on families through thechecks he used to cash based onsomeones word.

Regular customers will comeinsaying theyre cashing a disabilitycheck for a relative, but then therelative will say he or she neversaw the check, Long said.

Ive seen it break some ofthem, Long said of families.Through theft, jailbonds and treat-ment costs, the drug abusers taketheir families entire life savings,leaving many withnothing to liveoff of afterwards.

Ann Schneider, a 72-year-old

Middlesboro resident who worksas an administrative assistant at alocal church, said she and herneighborsare moreawareof crimespurred by the prescription drugepidemic.

There are more break-ins thanthere used to be, she said.

Michael Schneider, a 47-year-old insurance agent inMiddlesboro, said the drug prob-lem has hurt the communityswork force and its young people.He said clients, particularly thosein thecoalbusiness, areconstantlytelling him its difficult to findworkers who can pass a drug test.

Its so accessible, he said ofprescription drugs. Its a definitedrain on this community. You lose

the productivity of these kids.Theyre out stealing or in jail.

EVERYONE PAYS

Crimes add coststo goods, services

BellCountysproblems withad-diction reach far beyond the ad-dicted.

Petty crime has increased inMiddlesboro, the countys largestcity, the result of prescriptiondrug-seekers, said Jeff Sharpe,chief of the Middlesboro PoliceDepartment.

Instead of going in the houseandhauling outTVsand big-ticket

items, they are hauling out smallthings they can get to easily, hesaid.Andthefirstthing they goforis the medicine cabinet.

Thieves also are targeting cop-per wiring and pipes from aban-donedhomes materialsthey cansell for quick money, Sharpe said.The police also are getting morereports of prescription fraud andof people stealing prescription

drugs from family members. Jamie Partin, co-owner andmanager of Pineville Pharmacy,said hes had to deal with forgedprescriptions and people calling infake prescriptions.

Through the use of the Ken-tucky All Schedule PrescriptionElectronic Reporting System software available to doctors,phar-macists and law enforcement totrack narcoticprescriptions Par-tinsaidhe usually finds onepersona month who is having prescrip-tions filled at many local pharma-cies.

Hesalsolearnednot tofillmostout-of-state prescriptions.

Sometimes I say Im not com-fortable filling it, he said.

With so much drug crime, theBell County Police and court sys-tem spend most of their time andresources fighting it.

In district and circuit criminalcases, I would be surprised if 90percent arent drug-related, saidBell Circuit Judge Robert Costan-zo, whohelps oversee thecountysfelony drug court program.

Such crime has far-reaching ef-fects.

Prescription drug abusers arerunning the costs of goods up be-cause theyre stealing, Brock said.For example, many become delin-quent in paying taxes and utilitybills, which raises costs for otherresidents, he said. There are defi-nitely no winners in this.

During the eight years Bennetthas been sheriff, his departmenthas made 200 drug-trafficking ar-rests.

His office has seven road depu-ties but could easily use 30 to han-dle the workload.

Atthe same time,the budgetforBell County Commonwealths At-torney KarenGreene Blondells of-fice alongwithevery othercom-monwealths and countyattorneysoffice in the state has been hitwith budget cuts and mandatedfurlough days.

Its all we can do to get all thework done, to keep the cases mov-ing, Blondell said.

FIGHTING BACK

Ministries, agenciesindividuals pitch in

Some frustrated citizens havebanded together to battle the epi-demic of prescription drug abuse.

Rebekkah Helton Burkett, aschool substance abuse counselorwith Operation UNITE, hasworked with students whose lives

have been derailed by drugs, in-cluding Tayler Partin, a Middles-boro High School graduate whowas a straight-A student andvarsi-ty cheerleader whileshe wasusing.

Partin, who abused prescrip-tion drugs for 212 years, beganmeeting with Burkett in Septem-ber 2007 after another student toldtheschool thatPartinsnortedpain-killers after a football game.

If I had not been caught, Iwould beeitherin jail, deador inaGod-awful relationship with someuser, she said.

Pineville resident Cathy Woo-lum watched drugs being dealtopenly in downtown, promptingher to help start a group that laterbecame Operation UNITEs Bell

County coalition.The countys escalating drugproblemwas like a trainwas com-ing down the middle of the street,and no one was doing anything tostop it, she said.

Operation UNITE, a nonprofitagency formed to fight drug abusein southeastern Kentucky, hastriedto introduce more prevention ef-forts and recreational opportuni-ties for youth, because many resi-dents cite a lack of activities as areason some turn to drugs.

Bells UNITE coalition, alongwith other groups throughout thestate, has mixed the anti-drugmes-sagewith otheractivities, said coa-lition member Donnie Caldwell.The lessons have been coupled

withbasketball,ATVriding,airsoftgun shooting and archery.Caldwell, who also is the Bell

County Drug Free Communitiesdirector, is most proud of his FirstTee Pine Mountain program, oneof several programs worldwidethat teaches character develop-ment and values through golf. Theprogram has an anti-drug messagethat has been adopted by First Teeprograms nationwide. From2003-09, 1,143 young people haveparticipated in the Bell program.

Other efforts have focused onbringing more treatment to thearea.

Treatment facilities and treat-ment resources are desperatelyneeded,Blondellsaid.To methat

is heartbreaking when you seepeople whoyou believe could ben-efit from treatment and the re-sources arent there.

Some local faith-based groupshave stepped upto tryand help fillthe gap with support groups.

The LighthouseMissionCenterin Pineville, for example, offerssupport group sessions, a jail min-istryand outreach at an alternative

school for teens through its Life-line of Bell County program.Weve had some success stories,Teaney said. Wed like to have

more.Covenant United Methodist

Church in Middlesboro started aCrossroads ministry for addicts.On Thursday nights, Pastor PhilHill andother church leaders meetwith addicts at the Old RedmanLodge, a building they outfitted asa coffeehouse and music club.

The court system is trying tofoster rehabilitationthrough an in-tense 18-month drug court pro-gram that allows participants toavoidjailtime butcarries stiffpen-alties, which can include incarcer-ation, if rulesare broken, Costanzosaid. Participants must take twiceweekly drug testsand geta joband

more education, among otherthings.At any one time, about 30 peo-

plearein theprogram, whichstart-ed roughly nine years ago, he said.But theres enough need to doublethe number of participants within60 days if the money were there.

Right now I have to pick andchoose, Costanzo said. I couldhave two that are excellent candi-dates. OneImable totake, andoneI cant.

Woolum said she finds it diffi-cult to reflect on thepositive workin the county in the face of the re-cent death statistics and the over-whelming factors that are out oftheir control. But she cant helpfeeling that anti-drug efforts have

made a difference.Were No. 1 in the state now,

shesaid. Butwherewould webe ifwe didnt have these efforts goingon here?

Reporter Laura Ungar canbe reachedat(502) 582-7190 or [email protected]. Reporter Emily Hagedorn canbe reached at (502) 582-7086 or [email protected].

BELL | Eastern Kentucky county is hard hit by abuse of prescription drugsContinued from A1


Covenant United Methodist Pastor Phil Hill, right, leads a group in prayer before an evening of entertainment, food and socializing wrapped around a message of recovery as part of aCrossroads ministry in Middlesboro. See a video of their efforts at www.courier-journal.com/drugabuse. An old lodge has been converted into a coffee house and music club.

28,972Population(2009Census estimate)

53.7Deaths per 100,000 people due

to prescription drugs from2003-07

(Highest death rate in thestate)

79Residents who have died from

prescription drug overdosesfrom 2003-07

$22,559Median household income

32.8%Residents living below the

poverty line

12%Residents who are unemployed

11.4%Residents with a bachelor's

degree or higher

Bell Countyby-the-numbers

Sources: The U.S. Census Bureau,American Community Survey, 2005-09;the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention; the Kentucky Office ofEmployment and Training

Crockett

Stoney Fork

Arjay

Pineville

Chenoa

Middlesboro

CalvinOaks

Callaway

Beverly

119

25E

25E

221

190

66

KENTUCKYBell

County

The Courier-Journal

TENN.

VA.

N

Pastor Phil Hill speaks about the importance of havingstrong relationships with family and friends. He andother church leaders meet with addicts at the OldRedman Lodge on Thursday nights.

PRESCRIPTION FOR TRAGEDY P A R T T W O O F T H R E E

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THE COURIER-JOURNAL | MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011 | A5KY-

28.1%Residents with a

bachelor's degree

Jefferson County

by-the-numbers

721, 594Population

(2009 Census estimate)

17.4Deaths per 100,000 peopledue to prescription drugs

from 2003-07(42nd highest death rate

in the state)

624Residents who have died

from prescription drugoverdoses from 2003-07

$45,440Median household income

14.6%Residents living below

the poverty line

10.2%Residents who are

unemployed

The Courier-Journal

Sources: The U.S. Census Bureau,American Community Survey, 2005-09;the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention; the Kentucky Office ofEmployment and Training

All Wynona Sodan want-edwas relief fromthe degen-erative bone disease thatmade her knees ache un-bearably.

I ended up going to thedoctor. They started giv-ing me pain medication,said the 55-year-old HikesPoint retiree. It ended up Icouldnt sleep and had allthese other problems. Theykept giving me more pills.

Within a year, Sodan wasaddicted, with cravings sobad that she stole a few pillsfrom her best friends

mother, who was dying ofcancer.Sodan is oneof a growing

number of Jefferson Countyresidents who have beencaught in the web of pre-scription drug addiction.Federal statistics show thattherate of prescription drugdeaths in Jefferson Countymore than doubled from1999 to 2007, rising from 9.2per 100,000 to 20 per100,000.

Weve seen a dramaticincrease (in addiction)among both men and wom-en, said Karyn Hascal, vicepresidentfor mission advan-cement at The Healing

Place, which offers an addic-tion-recovery program. Itsa huge problem.

Still, prescription drugdeaths are far lower in theLouisville region than inhard-hit Eastern Kentucky.

The prescription drugdeath rate in Jefferson Coun-

ty was 17.4 per 100,000 peo-ple in 2003-07, comparedwith a Kentucky average of19.2 and a national average of14.8.

Bullitt Countys rate was10.2, and Oldham Countysrate isso low itis statisticallyunreliable.

Doctors and experts say

the problem may be less se-vere in the Louisville regionbecause its a metropolitanareaofferingmore for youngpeople to do and havingmore authority figures tocatch them doing wrong.

Moreover, the Louisvilleregion has more places for

addicts to get treatmentwithin a reasonable distanceof their homes and publictransportation to help themget there, some experts say.

Sodan abused prescrip-tion drugs such as Percocetand Ambien before she ad-mitted herself in 2006 to the

Jefferson Alcohol and Drug

Abuse Center following aconfrontation with herdaughtersthat promptedherto take every pill she had.

She stayed at the centerfor a week, just long enoughfor detoxification becauseher insurance wouldnt payfor a longer stay. She then

joined a 12-step program,which sustains her recovery.

I went there because Ididnt want my children towalk out of my life. I stayedlongenoughto wantanotherlife, said Sodan, who nowlives with one of her threedaughters and helps lookafter two grandchildren.

Dr. Billy Barclay, an ad-diction psychiatrist and as-sistant professor of psychia-try at the University of Lou-isville, called pain-pill abusea national epidemic that hasbeen rising in the Louisvillearea since the mid-1990s.

But Ann Ferriell, director

of safeand drug-free schoolsfor Jefferson County PublicSchools, said prescriptiondrug abuse is not anythingthat is a massive problemamong the districts stu-dents. In a recent month,

only one student in the dis-trict was suspended for pre-scription drugs.

The problem is far morepronounced among Louis-ville-area adults, doctorssaid.

Barclay said most buypills on the streets, whileotherstrick local doctors in-to prescribing pills by fakingillness, or they travel toFlor-ida, where pills are easier toget.

Dr. Nanine Henderson, aLouisville family practicephysicianwho specializes inaddiction medicine, said herofficeis attunedto signs thatsomeone may be doctor-shopping, such as calling

back for prescriptions rightaway or asking for prescrip-tions by name.

They can be anybody healthy, youngstudents, shesaid. They certainly dontlook like the street drug ad-dict.

Sodan,for example, was acashier at Fort Knox withthree adult daughters.

The thing about pre-scriptionmedication is thatIcould take that stuff and goto work; it was very easy tohide, she said.Atthat pointin time, it was very easy toput the pills inmy purse andsay they are prescribed. Butat the end I wasnt taking

them as prescribed.

Reporter Laura Ungar can bereachedat (502) 582-7190 or lun-

[email protected]. Re-porter Emily Hagedorn can bereached at (502) 582-7086 or [email protected].

Drug problems are growing in LouisvilleBy Laura Ungarand Emily HagedornThe Courier-Journal


Degenerative bone disease sent Wynona Sodan to doctors seeking relieft from the pain. Withina year, she was addicted. But a week at the Jefferson Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center and a12-step program have helped her recover. She now lives with one of her three daughters.

W

hen Tayler Partinattended Mid-dlesboro HighSchool in BellCounty, she wasa varsity cheer-

leader, track team captain, KeyClub member, straight-A student and a prescription drug ad-dict.

She was taking 12 to 15 Xanaxpills and three to eight OxyCon-tin pills a day, losing so muchweight that she dropped from asize 7 to a size 2 yet no onenoticed, she said. The drugsdidnt affect her grades, and as acheerleader, she felt pumpedfull of spirit when I did Oxy.

But her charade fell apartafter a football game in Septem-ber 2007, when a fellow cheer-leader saw her snorting painkill-ers and reported her to schoolofficials. They called her intothe office the next school day,searched her and found the painreliever Percocet.

Right before I got pulledinto the office, I had done twoXanax off the desk in themiddle of class, she said.There were people who saw,but they did it too.

Looking back, Partin, now 19,says getting caught likely savedher life.

She said she had been abus-ing prescription drugs since she

was 15, like many other class-mates.

Theres really no recrea-tion, Partin said of Bell County.They turn to going up on the

mountain, bringing a keg andgetting drunk and stoned andhigh.

There were times Partin saidshe was so high she didnt know

how she made it home.I dont know how I didnt

die.After she was caught in

school, she was sentenced tocommunity service and regulardrug tests a punishment thatkept her clean.

Her mother also made her goto church every Sunday, andPartin attended the Crossroadsministry for addicts throughCovenant United MethodistChurch in Middlesboro.

She said it gave her thestrength to end her addiction.

I just told them (the congre-gation) that I realized I couldntdo it on my own anymore, shesaid. I needed God on my side.

Partin said she has stayedclean, though at times it has beena challenge. She graduated fromMiddlesboro High in 2009 andnow attends Morehead StateUniversity, hoping to become aschool substance-abuse counse-lor.

A lot of people when they getcaught, theyre very bitter, shesaid. To me, it was a blessing indisguise because I got my headout of my rear end and realizedwhat I needed to be doing withmy life.

Reporter Emily Hagedorn can bereached at (502) 582-7086.

Bell County cheerleader had goodgrades and a big drug problem

By Emily [email protected] Courier-Journal


Getting caught was a blessing in disguise because I got my head out of my rear end and realized what I needed tobe doing with my life, said Tayler Partin, now a student at Morehead State University.

{ TAYLERS STORY}

per used for its calculations. Thestatistics come from a database ofdeaths maintained by the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention.Online resources for youthsStudents Against DestructiveDecisions: http://www.sadd.org/National Institute on Drug Abuseteen site: http://teens.drugabuse.gov/utilities/resources.php

WHERE TO TURNOperation UNITE has a toll-free treat-ment referral line for people seekingassistance with a drug addiction. Its

available Monday through Friday, 8a.m. to 5 p.m.: (866) 908-6483;http://operationunite.org/

Licensed centersfor adult treatmentin LouisvilleThe Healing Place, Louisville:585-4848; http://www.thehealing-

place.org/Jefferson Alcohol and Drug AbuseCenter: 583-3951; http://www.seven-

counties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=24361A New Beginning for Women:634-4252Interlink Counseling Services Inc.(beds mostly for veterans): 964-7147;http://www.interlinkservices.org/The Brook Hospital-KMI (alsoadolescent inpatient): LaGrange Road,426-6380; Dupont, 896-0495; http://

www.thebrookhospitals.com/Volunteers of America: 636-0771to get information on various pro-

gramsSt. Judes Womens RecoveryCenter: 589-6024Seven Counties RenaissanceHouse: 634-3948; http://www.seven-counties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=40682Louisville area chapter of Narcot-ics Anonymous: 499-4423; http://www.nalouisville.org/

Source: University of Kentucky Centeron Drug and Alcohol Research

Note on statisticsin this projectThe method in which deaths areclassified nationwide does not allowprescription drugs to be singled outas a cause from all other drugs, butstate epidemiologists identified acollection of codes used to describecauses of death, which the newspa-

EVERYBODYS HURTING IN OUR AREA. ~ Sharon Teaney, co-director of the Lighthouse Mission Center

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Louisville area: Raintoday and possiblethunderstorm tonight.Light snow tomorrow.

WEATHER | B2

44 36 36

36-HOUR FORECAST

TODAY TOMORROW

University ofLouisville fallsto Georgetown

SPORTS | C1FEATURES | D1

SUPERADSAnticipation wanes for big games spots

Not-so

A fight between thecity anda developer over a row of dilapi-dated buildings just east of the new downtown arena has beensettled with ToddBlue agreeing to wait 90 days to allow time todetermine whether the facades canbe savedor at least incorpo-rated into a proposed project to build two hotels.

The city settled the federal lawsuit over the seven buildingsdemolition because there was a risk that thestructures wouldbedeclared unsafe and razed. Mayor Greg Fischer will seek$450,000 from Metro Council toward the cost of preserving thefacade.Metro, B1

Buildings on West Main can be razedThe Courier-Journal

Photo illustration by Michael Clevenger

This photo composite of several images shows the block of West Main Street where Todd Blue plans a $48 million project.

P A R T T H R E E O F T H R E E

METRO EDITION L O U I S V I L L E , K E N T U C K Y courier-journal.com T U E S D AY , F E B R U A R Y 1 , 2 01 1 USPS 135567

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CAIRO Egypts military pledged Mon-day not to fire on protesters in a sign thatarmy support for President Hosni Mubarakmay be unravelingon theeveof a major esca-

lation a push for a million peopleto take tothe streets today to demand the authoritarianleaders ouster.

More than 10,000 people beat drums,played music and chanted slogans in TahrirSquare, which has become ground zero of aweek of protests demanding an end to Mub-araks three decades in power.

With the organizers calling for a marchof a million people,the vibe in thesprawlingplaza whosename inArabic meansLiber-ation was of an intensifying feeling thatthe uprising was nearing a decisive point.

He only needs a push! was one of themost frequent chants.

Other countries rushed to get their citi-zens out of the increasingly unstable nation.The U.S. State Department said it evacuatedmore than 1,200 Americans aboard govern-ment-chartered planes and expected to flyout roughly 1,400 more in the coming days.

The latest gesture by Mubarak aimed atdefusing the crisis fell flat. His top ally, theUnited States, roundly rejected his an-nouncement of a new government Mondaythat dropped his highly unpopular interior

A millionsought for

march onMubarakMilitary says it wont fire;U.S. starts evacuationsBy Maggie Michael and Hamza HendawiAssociated Press

See EGYPT, A3, col. 2

INSIDESome Kentucky and Indiana families have lovedones caught in Egypts upheaval and are hopingthey can find a way out of the country, as the U.S.began evacuation flights Monday. Metro, B1

WASHINGTON In a majormine-safety

initiative, federal regulators on Monday pro-posed a speedier and tougher way to crackdown onoperations with a patternof chronicsafety violations.

Until now the federal Mine Safety andHealth Administration has tried to use exist-ing rules to strengthen such enforcement ef-forts. But MSHA chief Joseph Main said therulesare cumbersome and fraught withloop-holes.

This is thenextstep,he told reporters inannouncing a host ofproposed changes,to bepublishedWednesday in theFederalRegister.

Thecoalindustryand thepublic will have60 days to comment on the changes. Publichearings are likely to follow, and no date hasbeen set for making the rules final.

MSHA is trying to tighten the system for

New rulestougher onunsafe minesMSHA wants to simplifydealing with offendersBy James R. [email protected] Courier-Journal

See MSHA, A2, col. 2

Avery Bradshaw was only 7 when he lost hisfather to an OxyContin overdose.

They told me that he had an accident; hewas gone, said Avery, now 14. I was old enoughto take in things. I knew that he wouldnt beback.

Now an eighth-grader at Rockcastle MiddleSchool, Avery said he never really got over his

fathers death.It destroyed us, said Avery, who now speaks out against

drug abuse. It didnt just hurt our immediate family. It hurt thewhole family. Its just made life a lot more uncomfortableand uneasy.

Avery is among a growing number of children hurt by theepidemic of prescription drug abuse in Kentucky.

Children of drug abusers often lose their parents to addic-

tion, experts and studies say, and are more likely than otherchildren to suffer a host of social problems including drugabuse.

But as the problem spreads in Kentucky, even childrenwhose parents dont abuse prescription drugs are at an in-creasing risk of becoming addicts themselves.


Sarah Brennan, right, visits with her friend Ashley Watkins and Watkins two daughters, Jericca, left, and Jaylin, during an outing atBeattyvilles city park. Ashley Watkins says she was 13 when she first experimented with prescription drugs. She kept on using evenafter the births of her daughters, now 7 and 11. To see a video of Ashley Watkins, go to www.courier-journal.com.

KENTUCKY CHILDREN CAUGHT IN A WEB OF DRUG ABUSE

B Y E M I L Y H A G E D O R N A N D L A U R A U N G A R T H E C O U R I E R - J O U R N AL

S E E K I D S , A 4 , C O L . 1

PRESCRIPTION FORTRAGEDY

IT DESTROYED US

SUNDAYPrescription drug abuse is killing Ken-tuckians at record levels, but theres lessmoney to fight the epidemic.MONDAYBell County has the worst prescriptiondrug death rate in the state, and theproblem is growing in Louisville.TODAYKentucky children are caught in a tragicweb of prescription drug abuse, whichcan destroy families, but an army ofpeople are battling the drug problem.ON THE WEBWatch a video of recovering addictAshley Watkins and of Chads Hope, arecovery program for addicts, atwww.courier-journal.com/drugabuse.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Business B4Comics D4Deaths B6Editorial A6Features D1Lottery A2

Markets B5Metro B1Movies D2Nation A3Sports C1TV D5

28 PAGESINDEXBREAKING NEWS

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A4 | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011 | THE COURIER-JOURNAL KY-

Kentucky ranked eighth in thenation for nonmedical use of painrelievers by 12- to 17-year-olds inthe U.S. governments NationalSurvey on Drug Use and Healthtaken in 2007-08.

In Eastern Kentucky, the stateshardest-hitregion, the average ageat which children first get high onprescription drugs is 11, accordingto Operation UNITE, a nonprofitagency that fights drug abuse inthat region. Many factors can beblamed: easy access to drugs, alack of activities for young peopleand, in Eastern Kentucky, a culturethat has made prescription drugabuse the norm, officials said.

Plus,

I think prescriptiondrugs are left out of the conversa-tion parents have with their chil-dren, said Sarah Flynn, researchand community outreach directorfor Operation UNITE.

A lot of parents didnt see ille-gal drugs until college, she said.Now theirkids seethemat age11.

Ashley Watkins, of Beattyville,was 13 when she first experiment-ed with prescription drugs. Shekept on using even after the birthsof her daughters, now 7 and 11.

And by 2008, the girls werewatching her sink into crime tofeedher addiction,as she witheredawayto 80pounds. They alsowerethere when the police barged intotheirhome that same year toarrest

Watkins,then 24, andher husbandfor selling OxyContin.I wish I didnt have to look at

them and know what I put themthrough and that it was my fault,said Watkins, 27, whoserveda sin-gle day in jail but temporarily lostcustody of her children after herarrest. They were innocent anddidnt have to go through whatthey did.

A LOST GENERATIONAddicts children

are at highest riskChildren hithardest bythe pre-

scription drug abuse crisis arethose whose parents become ad-dicts, according to decades ofstudies that have shown they aremore likely than others to use because of a genetic predisposi-tion to addiction and exposure todrug use in their homes.

They also are more at risk thantheir peers for delinquency, de-pression and poorschool perform-

ance, according to the U.S. Sub-stance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration.

And even if they dont usedrugs, they often struggle with se-vere family disruptions.

Imhaving a lot ofkids who are

suffering the consequences of aloved one dying from drugs, saidNan Herald, a substance abusecounselor with Operation UNITEin Breathitt and Wolfe countyschools. Its a lost generation.

Herald estimates that at least afourth of her caseload involveschildren living with grandparents,usually because their parents areusing drugs.

Avery has lived with his great-grandparents since losing his fa-ther, Josh Hendrickson.

His mother struggles with pre-scription drug abuse but said sheis clean now, and Avery sees herregularly.

Prescription drug abuse alsopreys on people whose familiesdont have a history of abuse particularly in Kentucky, whereabuse is rampant.

Attorney General Jack Con-ways office said one in five teenshas abused prescription drugs atsome point.

National surveys say the aver-ageage that peoplefirstabusepre-

scription drugs is 22. But in Ken-tucky, 8 percent of children ages 12to 17 took an illicit pain reliever inthepreviousyear, accordingto theU.S. Substance Abuse and MentalHealth Services Administration.

Sharon Teaney, whose Light-house Mission Center in Pinevilleprovides support for addicts, saidshe metone teen whostarted illic-itly taking prescription drugs at 9and kept it secret until she was 13.

Prescription drug abuse hasbecome part of the culture, unfor-tunately, said David Price, associ-atedirectorof KentuckyMountainMission of Eastern Kentucky.

Its asocial norm, said Flynn,with Operation UNITE.

Jason Evans, who grew up in

Bell County, said he had alreadytried alcohol and marijuana whenhe took prescription drugs for thefirst time around age12.

He said he mostly snuck themfrom his grandparents, for whomthey had been prescribed. Al-though his parents were divorced,he said he hada typical childhood,with sports and friends.

But I never felt quite comfort-able, said Evans, a recovering ad-dict at 35. Acceptance was what Iwas searching for.

Early use of prescription drugscan have serious and long-termconsequences. The federal gov-ernments National Survey onDrug Use and Health cites severalstudies showing students who use

alcohol or drugs areat greater riskfor doing poorly in school.And accordingto federal health

officials, children who first abuseprescription drugs before age 16have a greater risk of drug abuselater in life.

Stephen Boggs, principal ofLetcher County Central High

KIDS | Vicious cycle of prescription drug abuse is now part of the cultureContinued from A1

TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT DRUGSBe clear with your children thatyou dont want them using drugs.Dont leave room for interpretation.And talk often about the dangersand results of drug and alcoholabuse. Once or twice a year wontdo it.

Be a better listener. Ask ques-tions and encourage them.Paraphrase what your child says toyou. Ask for his or her input aboutfamily decisions. Showing yourwillingness to listen will make yourchild feel more comfortable aboutopening up to you.

Give honest answers. Dont makeup what you dont know; offer tofind out. If asked if youve ever takendrugs, let them know whats impor-tant: You dont want them usingdrugs.

Use TV reports, anti-drug com-mercials or school discussions about

drugs to help introduce the subjectin a natural way.

Dont react in a way that will cutoff discussion. If your child makesstatements that challenge or shockyou, turn them into a calm dis-cussion of why your child thinkspeople use drugs or if the effect isworth the risk.

Role play with your child andpractice ways to refuse drugs indifferent situations. Acknowledgehow tough these moments can be.

In conversations with your child,

steer the subject to drugs and whytheyre harmful. If you can ingrainthis information in your children wellbefore they are faced with makingdifficult choices, experts say theyllbe more likely to avoid rather thanuse.

You dont need to fear that, byintroducing the topic of drugs,

youre putting ideas into your chil-drens heads any more than talkingabout traffic safety might makethem want to jump in front of a car.Youre letting them know aboutpotential dangers so that theyllknow what to do.

If you hear something you dontlike (perhaps a friend smokes mari-

juana), it is important not to react inany way that cuts off discussion. Ifyour child seems defensive or as-sures you that he doesnt knowanyone who uses drugs, ask himwhy he thinks people use them.

Tell your child about the risks ofall drug use. Even without addiction,experimentation is too great agamble. One bad experience, suchas being high and misjudging howlong it takes to cross a busy street,can change or end a life forever.

Source: Parents: The Anti-Drug,Office of National Drug Policy

PRESCRIPTION FORTRAGEDY P A R T T H R E E O F T H R E E

ChadMcWhorter alwaystalkedabout having a house on familylandin Manchester, Ky. Instead, hedied in 2004 at 21of a prescriptiondrug overdose.

Today, his legacy lives on in atreatment center on 80 acres do-nated by his father, CharlieMcWhorter. Called Chads Hope,thecenter canhouse 52men, offer-ing a year-long Christian recovery

program that activists say helpsfight prescription drug abuse inClay County.

Quite simply, it saved my life,said Shawn Epperson, 25, whostayed there 15 months recoveringfrom an OxyContin addiction. Iam no longer a drug addict; I amready to start my life.

Chads Hope is one of many ef-forts in Clay County to ease thepain of prescription drug abuseand save addicts lives.

Experts say those battling Ken-tuckys prescription drug abuseproblem can learn from commun-itiessuchas Clay andstatessuch asUtah thathavemade strides as theystruggle to forge ahead despite abad economy.

Saddled with the nations third-highest death rate from prescrip-tion drug overdoses, Utahlaunched a $500,000 campaign in2008to educatethe public andpro-vide guidelines for doctors.

Officialssay theresultwas a12.6percent drop in deaths the larg-est decrease in more than 15 years.

Andalthoughthe campaign hassince lost its funding because ofbudget cuts, the state still operatesseveral other anti-drug programs.

Im hoping we had some last-ing effect, said Dr. Robert Rolfs,Utahs state epidemiologist. Thisis not a problem thats going awayon its own.

Kentucky officials say they alsoareworking towardtheir ownsolu-tions despite similar fundingshortfalls.

Attorney General Jack Conway,for example, launched Kentuckysfirst statewide prescription drugdiversion task force in 2009 to in-vestigate drug trafficking, doctorshopping, illegal out-of-state phar-macies and physicians who over-prescribe.

State officials also hope to seemore of an impact from its highlypraised Kentucky All SchedulePrescription Electronic Reportingsystem, an online database thatdoctorsand pharmacists canuse tofind a patients history of con-

trolled substance prescriptions.Addicts and those who work

with them say it can foil plans totrick doctorsinto prescribing pain-killers. Its been copied in manystates, and theres an effort to linkall such systems.

Gov. SteveBeshear saidofficialsare researching whether to requiredoctors who prescribe controlledsubstances to have a KASPER ac-count.

In terms of prescription moni-toring, Kentucky is one of the beststates,said SherryGreen,chief ex-ecutiveofficer of the NewMexico-based National Alliance for ModelState Drug Laws.

UNITED AGAINST DRUGSChristians launchedeffort in Clay County

A decade ago, Clay County lostoneresidenta weekto prescriptiondrug overdoses, anti-drug activistssaid.

Fed up, a small group of areaChristians began meeting on Sat-

urday mornings in 2002 to prayaboutthe problem. Theyeventual-ly asked forhelp from local judges,lawyers and politicians.

In May 2004, more than 3,500people marched against drugs inManchester.

Energized, the number of activ-ists grew and mobilized.

Were all working together,saidthe Rev. DougAbner,pastorofManchesters CommunityChurch.

Abners church started aCourtWatch program in which volun-teers attendedhearings to monitorhow judges were handling drugcases.Abnersaid it putpressure onofficials to mete out just punish-ment.

Butthe prescription drug prob-lem persisted. Ronnie Cottongimof Manchester, a Court Watch vol-unteer, couldnt save son Brandonfrom becoming a casualty.

Cottongim recalled how hisson,hookedon OxyContin, usedtocome to him and say: Daddy, Ivegot a problem, but I cant do any-thing about it.

Oneday in 2006, Cottongim re-turnedhome from CourtWatch tofind Brandon dead in his bed. Hewas 27.

I loved him with all my heart,Cottongim said, his voice breaking.

Cottongim doggedlypushed formore resources to help addicts

avoid Brandons fate.I want people to know there is

hope forthem,he said.Thats thereasonI was so adamant aboutget-ting Chads Hope.

The center opened in February2008 andis now runby TeenChal-

lenge International USA, a Mis-souri-based nonprofit agency.Abner and Charlie McWhortersaid its yearlong program fills avoid; experts say Kentucky has fartoo few centers offering treatmentbeyond 90 days.

Just to see thelives change, itsamazing, McWhorter said.

Epperson, a former Universityof Kentucky student from Win-chester, said he started using Oxy-Contin after his father died of abrain aneurysm in 2007.

He got it off the street fromfriends whogot it in Florida. Even-tually, he was taking 10 pills a day,while also using other drugs. Butafter he stole $10,000 from hismother, he wound up in jail andwas placed by court order inChads Hope. He got counseling,read the Bible every day and wentto chapel.

Its opened my eyes, said Ep-person, who plans to work at achurch back home when he gradu-atesfrom theprogram,and eventu-ally go into the ministry to helpyouth like himself.

Activists said such efforts arebeginning to make a difference.The countys prescription drugdeath rate was 32.1 per 100,000 in2003-07, comparedwith 53.7 in thestates hardest-hit county, nearbyBell.

While reliable statistics for pre-viousyearsarentavailablefor ClayCounty, several residents agreedwith Abners assessment: Thedrug situation has got better.

Now when drivers enter thecounty seat of Manchester, a streetsign announces, The City ofHope.

ReporterLauraUngarcanbe reachedat(502) 582-7190 or [email protected]. Reporter Emily Hagedorn canbe reached at (502) 582-7086 or [email protected].

States, agencies seeking solutions

By Laura Ungar and Emily HagedornThe Courier-Journal


Charlie McWhorter who lost son Chad, shown in portrait, to a prescription drug overdose donated 80 acresfor Chads Hope, a center that offers a year-long Christian recovery program that activists say helps fight the drugabuse in Clay County. See a video about Chads Hope at www.courier-journal.com/drugabuse.

KENTUCKY RESPONSE

Reps. Rogers, Yarmuthspotlight drug abuse

Some Kentucky lawmakers saidthey are keeping attention focused onprescription-drug abuse.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th, wholaunched Operation UNITE in 2003,said it remains a strong force despitebudget cuts. He also helped re-startthe Congressional Caucus on Pre-scription Drug Abuse.

I believe this caucus is vital touniting lawmakers and other in-

terested parties to ensure that wereemploying every resource in ourarsenal to combat abuse. he said.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-3rdDistrict, pointed to his successfulefforts to ensure that Jefferson Coun-ty is included in the White HouseOffice of National Drug Control Pol-icys Appalachian Region High In-tensity Drug Trafficking Area program,which directs national resources tolocal law enforcement.

Prescription drug abuse in ourcommonwealth is a critical problemthat deserves our sustained atten-tion, Yarmuth said. During this newCongress, these vital programs that

keep our families and neighborhoodssafe and drug-free must be protectedfrom shortsighted funding cuts.

Communities jointhe battle on abuse

Story continued on next page

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THE COURIER-JOURNAL | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011 | A5KY-

to be singled out as a cause from all other

drugs, but state epidemiologists identified acollection of codes used to describe causes ofdeath, which allowed the newspaper to comeas close as possible to numbers of prescrip-tion drug overdose deaths. The statistics arefor 2003-07 and come from the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.

Online resources for youthsStudents Against Destructive Decisions:http://www.sadd.org/National Institute on Drug Abuse teen site:http://teens.drugabuse.gov/utilities/resourc-es.php

WHERE TO TURNThe following organizations are among those

providing help for people with drug problems.Operation UNITE has a toll-free treatmentreferral line for people seeking assistance witha drug addiction. Its available Mondaythrough Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: (866)908-6483; http://operationunite.org/

Licensed centers for adulttreatment in LouisvilleThe Healing Place, Louisville: 585-4848;http://www.thehealingplace.org/Our Lady of Peace, Louisville: 451-3333;http://www.ourladyofpeacepsychiatry.orgJefferson Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center:

583-3951; http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/

view_doc.php? type=doc&id=24361A New Beginning for Women: 634-4252Interlink Counseling Services Inc. (bedsmostly for veterans): 964-7147; http://www.in-terlinkservices.org/The Brook Hospital-KMI (also adolescentinpatient): LaGrange Road, 426-6380; Dupont,896-0495; http://www.thebrookhospi-tals.com/Volunteers of America: 636-0771 to getinformation on various programsSt. Judes Womens Recovery Center:589-6024Seven Counties Renaissance House:634-3948; http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/

view_doc.php? type=doc&id=40682

Louisville area of Narcotics Anonymous:499-4423; http://www.nalouisville.org/Source: University of Kentucky Center on Drugand Alcohol Research, Jewish Hospital & St.Marys HealthCare

How to helpIf you are interested in helping out, ask theabove organizations or similar ones in yourarea about their policies on donations orvolunteers.

Note on statistics in this projectThe method in which deaths are classifiednationwide does not allow prescription drugs

Seventeen-year-old John Maco Dea-ton IV still has the weekly lettershis father sent him about threeyears ago from the Clay CountyDetention Center.

They usually included some-thing about how his father was doing, howmuch he wanted to see John and howmuch time was left in his sentence forpossession of narcotics, DUI, wanton en-dangerment and evading police, amongother charges.

But John never wrote back.I didnt know what to say, the Breath-itt High School junior said.

John, who lives with his mother, was 2years old when his father became addictedto OxyContin and morphine.

He told me so many times that he wasgoing to quit for me, but he had never doneit, John said. It hurt me a lot, but I alwayslooked up to him.

Despite the separation, Deaton tried tostay in contact with his son, which oftenincluded promising him things he couldntdeliver.

John said he lost trust in adults.I didnt really know what to do, so I

just kept it bottled up, he said. I just kindof went on living or tried.

But even John admits hes one of thelucky ones. His father survived.

While in jail, John Maco Deaton III said

he accepted Christ, which put him on thepath to sobriety.

Before he was released in May 2008, hesaid he got down in that nasty publicbathroom in the jail, got on my knees andprayed, Please, please dont let me getmessed up on that stuff again.

Deaton said he knows he hurt his son.The drugs became more important

than he did, though I wouldnt admit that

at the time, he said.He now tours churches and schools,

giving his testimony, and he leads a Lifelineclass, a support group for recovering ad-

dicts. John also has accepted Christ afterseeing his fathers transformation.

"I dont miss church," John said. "Itssomething we do every Sunday."

Deaton said he and his son are movingforward.

Hes seen what drugs will do to a per-son, Deaton said. It takes everything youlove and buries it so deep that nobody cansee it.

Reporter Emily Hagedorn can be reached at(502) 582-7086.

Drug addiction separated father, sonBy Emily [email protected] Courier-Journal


After years of separation, John Maco Deaton IV is spending time with his father, John MacoDeaton III, who was addicted to drugs and spent time in jail on several charges.

School, saidhe seessomeof theef-fects of the states prescriptiondrug problem in his school of 945students.

Teens have been caught carry-ing prescription pills stolen frommedicine cabinets and even sell-ing some at school, he said.

Certainly, (the problem) isgonnableed itswayintotheschoolsystem, Boggs said.

COMBATING PROBLEM

Educators, agencies,churches join fight

But Boggs, like educatorsacross the state, works to keepdrugs out of his school and helpchildren affected by drug abuse.

Students learn about the dan-gers of drugs in their freshmanyear and must undergo randomdrug screenings to participate inextracurricular activities, Boggssaid. Those whoviolate drug rulesare immediately put into an inter-vention program, which includescounselingand police notification.

The idea is to help them,Boggs said, and the result is thatwe have a very minor problemcompared to the community atlarge.

Rebekkah Helton Burkett, aschool substance-abuse counselor

for Operation UNITE in BellCounty, works with students inthatEastern Kentuckycommunity,providing drug education, coun-selingstudents with addicted fam-ilymembers and workingwith stu-dents who use drugs, referringthem to treatment if necessary.

These educators are part of anarray of people and organizationsworking to keep kids from getting

addicted, even in the face of dwin-dling financial support.

I think everybodys trying,Burkett said, but funding hasntkept up with the growing need.

When Operation UNITEsbudget was cut from $10.3 millionin 2007-08 to $4.6 million the fol-lowing year, her community heldfundraisers so she could keep herstaff.

Weve struggled, she said. Iwish there were more counselorsto combat the problem.

The agency has offered severalyouth programs in recent years, in-cluding anti-drug clubsin schools,overnight adventure and leader-ship camps, Shoot Hoops NotDrugs basketball camps anda pro-gram called Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs.

More than 60,000 youth haveparticipated in those and otherUNITE-sponsored activities, butbudget cuts have reduced thenumber of programs offered.

Flynnsaid UNITEworkersalsotry to educate children and theirparents about how to avoid pre-scription drug abuse.

The agency employs 25 Amer-iCorps members to teach a curric-

ulum calledToo Good forDrugsin the schools, tutor students inmath and coordinate anti-drugclubs.

Starting in elementary school,UNITErepresentatives spread themessage that no one should takepills or medicine that arent pre-scribed by a doctor.

The agency also recently start-ed a newAccidental Dealer ini-

tiative, which teaches parents andother adults how to secure theirmedications.

It has to be a joint family ef-fort, Flynn said.

Churches and other religiousorganizations also have joined thefight.

Through Kentucky MountainMission of Eastern Kentucky,based in Beattyville, successfulparticipants in a Lifeline programfor addicts tell their stories toyoung people at the missionsYouth Haven Bible Camp.

The mission also has fitnessand recreational facilities that giveyoung people something to do.One in Lee County houses 10

bowling lanes,a game area,a snackshop with pizza and a fitness cen-ter.

Were not in the bowling busi-ness. Were not in the pizza busi-ness, Price said, adding that theyjust want to give young peopleclean, fun alternatives to prescrip-tion drug abuse.

The day Watkins was broughtto jail after policeraided herhomein April 2008, Price was there togive her a Bible.

She spent a day in jail and waslaterenrolledin the district courtsconfidential drug court program,which allows offenders to avoidjail time if they meet with court of-ficials regularly, pass random drugtests,and work toattain more edu-

cation and employment, amongother things.

Watkins said that she and herhusband have been clean formorethan two years.She gother Gener-al Equivalency Diploma and driv-ers license.

They also retained custody oftheir daughters, though it wasntwithout its price.

I think your parents are a big

part of your life at a young age,she said. And my kids kind of gotpushed away due to drugs.

Her daughters lived with herhusbands grandmother after thebust, and visitation was super-vised for the first 45 days after herrelease from jail.

After that, it took three monthsbefore her girls felt safe stayingovernightat the familys home, se-cure that they would not beawakened by police.

It just made me feel terrible,because it was my fault, Watkinssaid.

The children told her recentlythat they are finally feeling likethey have a normal family again.

I want my children to have abetter life, she said.

Reporter Laura Ungar can be reachedat (502) 582-7190 or lungar@courier-

journal.com. Reporter Emily Hagedorncanbe reached at (502)582-7086or [email protected].

David Price is associate director ofKentucky Mountain Mission ofEastern Kentucky, which has fitnessand recreational facilities that giveyoung people something to do. Onein Lee County includes 10 bowlinglanes.

Continued from A4

WHERE USERSGET DRUGS

More than half of illicit pre-scription drug users older than12 got the drugs for free froma friend or relative who had aprescription, according to t

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