A network of concerned citizens is working to solve some public health problems that affect all of us.

On Tuesday night, the Mississippi Delta State Rural Development Network held a public meeting to discuss drug and alcohol abuse in Natchez and Adams County. The group discussed problems with illegal and prescription drugs, working to compile their top concerns &045; and related statistics &045; so that their next step can be finding solutions to the problems.

The participants in Tuesday night’s meeting didn’t shy away from some of the area’s biggest problems. They discussed the growing abuse and illegal transfer of prescription drugs, along with the creative ways some addicts are using to disguise their problems.

And the participants also discussed the culture in Natchez which makes it easy to encourage drug and alcohol abuse. As one participant in the meeting said, &uot;Natchez is very much a party town, and some parents are in denial.&uot;

As a community, we have to begin addressing these problems before they lead to tragedy.

We hope the work this rural development network is doing can begin that process, but the community needs to buy into those efforts.

We encourage these civic-minded network members to continue working toward solutions, and we urge residents to support their efforts.