The people of southwest Virginia are tired of talking about their region’s drug epidemic and are ready to do something about it. That was the message representatives of the region sent yesterday to a legislative committee studying the cost of substance abuse on state and local governments and what can be done to combat the problem. The southwest corner of the state was ground zero for a prescription painkiller epidemic that over the past decade has resulted in a generation of addicts, an increased number of children in foster care and a drain on an already struggling economy. Committee members heard how many people who need help won’t ask for it. Others who want assistance can’t get it because it’s either too expensive or the most effective treatment isn’t available.