07.21 Ledger 01 - The Cherokee Ledger-News

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16 THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS NEWS JULY 21, 2010 Back to School Special 20% OFF for all students Located on Hwy 140 by Harmony on the Lakes in Canton 770.479.3775 When: Wed, July 28th Time: 2:00 pm Where: Savannah Grand of Towne Lake 1835 Eagle Drive Woodstock, 30189 FROM PAGE 1 ■■■ MILL: Canton not considering moratorium Ball wanted to take an aggressive approach to ensure the pill mills would not rear their heads in Holly Springs, unless, that is, they were legitimate, medically-connected and registered with the state’s medical board. The request was approved at the May 17 Holly Springs City Council meeting, 3-0, with council members Jacqueline Archer and Tommy Sanders absent. On July 12, Woodstock took initiative to join Holly Springs. Bores told the Woodstock City Council that it was recommended that all of the jurisdictions within Cherokee County cooperate with the one-year moratorium until the county can draft an ordinance. “The moratorium just gives us an opportunity, a pause if you will, to more accurately evaluate what the impact of these pain clinics are and to craft a better ordinance to control them,” Bores said. According to the resolution presented to the council members, the moratorium makes it impossible for “pill mills,” to renew a license or any pain management clinic to obtain a new license until a signed, notarized statement has been submitted to the city of Woodstock. Pill mills, according to the resolution, are pain clinics that have no interest in the diagnosis and treatment of medical issues, but write prescriptions and sell the highly addictive medication to the patient on site. As stated in the resolution, if officials were to discover the signed document was false, the license would be revoked. Currently, there are no suspected “pill mills” in Woodstock; however, there are legitimate, medical fa- cilities that address the issue of pain, Bores said. One Woodstock council member said it should stay that way. “I can’t imagine any legitimate reason for those pain clinics,” Councilman Chris Casdia said July 12. “These pain clinics are a way for people to push Oxy and Vicodin and get around pharmacies and legitimate doctors, and there should not be one in our city. A one-year moratorium isn’t enough. I don’t want any of them in this town.” Presently, Holly Springs and Woodstock are the only two jurisdictions within the county that have imposed the one-year moratorium. However, more are expected to jump on board this year, including Cherokee County and Ball Ground. According to Ball Ground Police Chief Ball Garrison Lance Dana Davis, Ball Ground City Manager Eric Wilmarth is currently working on a draft and intends to take it to council next month. Davis said “pill mills” are not a problem in Ball Ground; however, the city plans to impose it as a precautionary measure. “I would assume that if they (pill mills) find Cherokee County to be a lucrative place, then they will be all over the place,” he said. The sheriff agreed and has also passed the moratorium to the proper hands. Garrison said he and County Manager Jerry Cooper took the moratorium to the county commissioners, and it was passed on to the county attorney for review. “They are just reviewing it and preparing something for the county to do as well,” Garrison said. County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens was unable to confirm a date as to when the commissioners will vote on the moratorium. The item was to be discussed at the July 20 county commission meeting. “The commissioners, based on their e-mail responses back to me, are in agreement that it needs to be done and are supportive,” Garrison said, insisting that the moratorium on pain clinics is a must. “I think it is very important because these pill mills are a rapidly emerging trend.” While Garrison admitted it will be difficult to entirely prevent pill mills from operating, the moratorium will put all jurisdictions in a position as to where they can monitor the operations more closely, which, he added, could save lives. According to a published document by Georgia Medical Examiner’s Office last year, in 2008, overdoses on prescription drug use was greater than illicit drugs. Of the 638 drug overdose deaths in Georgia in 2008, 543, or 85 percent, involved prescription drugs or a combination of prescription and illicit drugs, statistics show. While these figures are calculated from the entire state, Bores said Woodstock has seen some arrests involving prescription drugs. “We have seen some, but I wouldn’t say it is a lot. We just don’t want it to get out of hand and get any worse,” he said. “This is something that all the departments in the county are addressing.” Although the sheriff’s office and Ball Ground plans to join Woodstock and Holly Springs in the countywide effort for a moratorium on pain clinics, Canton does not. According to the Canton Chief of Police Jeff Lance and Assistant Chief of Police Todd Vande Zande, the city of Canton has not had any issues with pill mills in the past or currently. Both the chief and assistant chief confirmed that there has not been any discussion on a moratorium or about passing one in the city limits at this time. Both added that if they see pill mills as an issue in the future, a moratorium might be something that is discussed with the Canton council members. 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JULY 21, 2010 NEWS THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS 17 FROM PAGE 1 NURSE: Lucas taking time to clear her mind “The guys and girls who are injured in battle get shipped to us, and we make sure they are stable enough to be shipped back to the states,” Lucas said of her duties there. “Anyone that needs more than basic care goes there (Landstuhl).” According to Lucas, in addition to serving injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan, she treated Australians, civilian contractors and the local population. During her time in the Navy, Lucas said she was able to dabble in many of the nursing field areas. “The good thing about the Navy is that you become a well versed nurse. I have seen all aspects of the nursing realm, except for labor/delivery and the O.R.,” she said, noting that the intensive care unit fit her needs as a self-proclaimed “control freak.” “I think that the ICU is for people who like to be in control. And, the ICU allows me to think more and be cautious of my patients’ needs. There is a lot of one-on-one care, which is nice.” While Lucas is also able to tend to her patients’ needs at Kennestone, she said they are just that—patients. “I enjoy my patients at Kennestone, but they are strangers to me. My military patients, however, are family. It is a bond that you don’t have in the civilian world,” she said, noting that, at times, it can be overwhelming because the soldiers are like a family to her. “Ninety-eight to 99 percent make it back to the states,” she said, noting that the one or two percent that do not make it back can take a toll on anyone in the field. In order for the injured Iraq and Afghanistan patients to get to LRMC, Lucas said they must first endure a six- to eight-hour plane flight. Once at the hospital, the soldiers, she said, have no idea where they are and they are frightened. “The courage of our guys and girls is what I brought home with me,” Lucas said. “It was usually a fighting battle. When they first woke up, the first thing they would ask was, ‘Where is my buddy?’ followed by a, ‘Thank you.’” She said, when a soldier would thank her, she would return the gesture. “We thanked them because it was them who were standing up for those who could not,” she said. “If I ever think my life is hard, all I have to do is think of the JESSICA WAGNER | LEDGER-NEWS Navy Lt. Commander Marci Lucas stands with a plaque she received from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where she spent the last year caring for wounded soldiers and clearing them to come back to the states. guys and girls and realize it can be worse.” While the job of a military nurse can be overwhelming, a majority of the work, Lucas said, is very rewarding. “I try to keep in touch with as many of the soldiers as I can through Facebook,” she said. “We (the nurses) don’t always know what happens to our soldiers, but we know that when they leave, they are going back to the states and will be taken care of.” As for her future as a civilian, Lucas said she fully intends to return to her Kennestone post, which she has held for five years. After her 11-month stint in Germany, she said she needs time to clear her mind and readjust to civilian life. “That is one of the reasons I picked Kennestone; because I am in the reserves, I can have things that conflict,” she said, noting that the hospital officials said it would not be a problem and her job was secure. “They are very supportive.” Chamber workshop to address recession challenges The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce will host a workshop Aug. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chamber office to inform small business owners what they need to know to survive the next decade. The workshop will discuss the challenges and identify future opportunities for the small business owners. Kennesaw State University professor, Bob Martin, will teach this work- ■■■ shop. The cost for members is $30; non-members are $55. The fee includes lunch. Register by Aug. 2 by e-mailing stephanie@cherokeechamber.com or by calling (770) 345-0400. 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07.21 Ledger 01 - The Cherokee Ledger-News

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