Task Force to probe designer-drug use Educators, experts, police to join panel

BY REGGIE SHEFFIELD OF THE PATRIOT-NEWS

A Citizen's Drug Task Force made up of school officials, drug-prevention specialists and law enforcement officials from Dauphin County will investigate designer drugs, which are popular among teen-agers, and prepare a report on ways to combat the problem.

Citing what he called an epidemic in the use of "club drugs," such as Ecstasy and date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol, Dauphin County Commissioner Lowman S. Henry said yesterday at a news conference that the task force will enlighten parents and educators on the signs and symptoms of the new teen-age drug usage.

Henry said the task force will also examine ways to expand the county's approach beyond law enforcement. "This is to approach the issue of drug abuse from a human services perspective," Henry said.

A group of high school students from across the county recently told Smittie Brown, the administrator of the county's drug and alcohol department, that it would take them about "three minutes" to buy drugs at their schools. "The drugs are just as prevalent in suburban Dauphin County as they are in Harrisburg. People need to wake up to the fact that just because they don't live in the city doesn't mean they don't have a drug problem," Brown said.

Commissioner Anthony M. Petrucci called the county's drug problem as "enormous burden" on county taxpayers. Brown said the task force will spend the next three to six months gathering, compiling and analyzing information from school administrators, local police departments, students and parents. "I'm hoping that parents will open themselves to the task force, because we need to hear from the parents as well," Brown said.

The report, which he expected would be completed in the fall, will be made available to the public in print and online, Brown said.

Other task force members include Patricia Gadsden of the Regional Alcohol Drug Awareness Resource Center; Charlie Johnson of the county juvenile probation department; Faith Erb-Elliot, a supervising narcotics agent of the state attorney generals office; Michael Consiglio, senior deputy district attorney and Officer Paul Kepple of the Hummelstown Police Department. Carl C.J. Hall, a drug and alcohol assessment consultant for local school districts, and Randy Brenner, a guidance counselor at Susquehanna Twp. High School, are also members.

Reggie Sheffield may be reached at (717) 255-8170 or e-mail rsheffield@patriot-news.com