There will be another town hall meeting to address the drug problem in the Ironton area and there will be representatives from the Ohio Attorney General and Ohio congressmen’s office in attendance.

Rethinking Addiction: The Community Awareness about the Burden of Substance Abuse and Addiction Event will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Bowman Auditorium at Ohio University Southern on Tuesday.

Ironton Mayor Katrina Keith said this is the fourth town hall-style meeting they’ve had.

“The last one was well attended,” she said “I think that there were around 100 people at the last one.”

Keith said this is a part of ongoing events in the area.

“Pastor Rick Sturgill of Real Life Ministries Church has done a series of events,” she said, adding that she, Sturgill, Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson and Common Pleas Judge Andy Ballard had discussed the addiction issues in Ironton and Lawrence County. “This is just another step of the series of those conversations and now we are inviting the state and federal people.”

Among the speakers will be Carol Baden from Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office, Todd Shelton from Sen. Rob Portman’s office, Juli Stephens from Congressman Bill Johnson’s office, Keith, Ballard, Anderson, Sturgill, and Dr. Nicholas Landry.

There will be music by the Real Life Ministries Rock Choir and after the speakers, there will be an open forum session where people can ask questions.

“We just want to continue these discussions, just talk and address this issue at every angle,” Keith said.

She added that some of the city staff from the police department, the fire department, and the health department would be in attendance as well.

“They are the people on the front lines,” she said. “So we can have these conversations and see it from their viewpoint.”

Keith said she feels the meetings and events are having an effect.

“We’re talking about it and getting the word out there,” she said. “We are exposing resources that people can go to. Somebody may not know about Land of Goshen, someone may not know about Real Life Ministries. So, I think by having that conversation is does open up that door of opportunity for the people that need these services.”

For more information, call 740-646-1155 or 304-634-2469.