CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- It may be one of the most church-oriented communities in the nation, but Bradley County has an addiction problem, a panel of experts said Tuesday.

"I'm still not convinced we as a community fully recognize the severity of the problem," said David Webb, president of GRAAB (Going Respectfully Against Addictive Behavior).

Some people are ready to take an aggressive approach to addiction, but not the whole community, he said.

Residents have "a denial problem," said Steve Wilson, senior pastor at Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy and a member for the panel, part of a program by the Community Action Network coalition of individuals and organizations.

"The denial comes from our mindset that we have so many churches, we have so many people who are religious, we are in the Bible Belt, that things will take care of themselves," Mr. Wilson said. "The reality is that's quite the opposite."

But panel members also expressed hope in the area's young people helping to protect their peers from falling into an addictive lifestyle.

Technology, including texting, keeps them continuously aware of what their friends are doing, panel members said.

Dr. Karen Mundy, a sociologist at Lee University, said strong families and peer groups can provide a "protective hedge" between young people and substance abuse. Local history and geography have an influence, too, she said, including the number of exits from interstate highways.

"I think there is a subculture in this area," she said. "I see this from raising three sons here and being active in a large church and as a parent in a youth group, from knowing many kids who have fallen into drug abuse, middle-class kids from strong families."

Dr. Lucas Queen from Bradley Cleveland Services told the group there is a close link between mental health and addiction.

"The majority of the time there are other issues going on," he said.

Families need to recognize their own enabling behaviors when a loved one has an addiction problem, he said.