Local activist ask businesses to remove drug paraphernalia display

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - One local man presented an appealing case Monday to city council about the removal of drug paraphernalia displays within city limits.

Local anti-drug activist, James Moore, father of Jeffery Moore who died in 2015 of an accidental heroin overdose stated retailers need to reevaluate the message drug displays sends to the community and struggling addicts.

“The overdose of drugs is the leading cause of accidental deaths, currently. We had a huge spike in those numbers in 2015 and 2016 was even higher. It continues to rise..." Councilwoman, Mary Dryden stated.

Moore said stores similar to Handy Pantry and the RA Shop are hurtful to the community. “The three problems I continue to see; first of all it’s illegal in the Mississippi stature in 4129139, that stature very clearly and in great detail defines all these types of paraphernalia and it makes it clear that it is against the law to posses them, sell them, manufacture them, transport them or display them. It has criminal penalty for doing any of those. But the big problem that we have in our city is the message that it sends to our kids,” Moore explained to city council during Monday's citizen's forum.

Councilwoman Deborah Delgado said the city should consider participation in fundraising and other activities to support the movement of an anti-drug community.