Authorities gather for prescription drug summit

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Federal and state authorities are meeting in Columbia for a summit on prescription drug abuse and addiction.

United States Attorney Bill Nettles says representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Drug Enforcement Administration are among those planning to gather Wednesday at the University of South Carolina’s Koger Center.

Representatives from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association are also expected to attend.

Nettles says prescription drug abuse is the fastest-growing type of illegal drug use in the country. In 2006, there were 293 prescription drug overdoses in South Carolina.