Pubdate: Wed, 27 Mar 2002
Source: Oklahoman, The (OK)
Copyright: 2002 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.oklahoman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318
Author: Diana Baldwin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

NICKLES HEARS GROUP'S CONCERNS ABOUT METH PROBLEM IN COUNTY

"This is so darn depressing," U.S. Sen. Don Nickles said Tuesday 
after listening to a group of Oklahomans talk about the 
methamphetamine problem in Oklahoma County. "I hoped this would have 
been more positive," Nickles, R-Ponca City, said at a meeting at his 
Oklahoma City office. "We need to be more invigorating in combating 
this problem. This is a serious problem."

Nickles offered to help Oklahoma. However, he warned the more than a 
dozen city, county, state and federal officials present he doesn't 
want to federalize the issue.

"The magnitude of this problem is growing every year," Nickles said. 
"What we see here is a big problem that is not going to go away.

"We need to be more energetic about it."

Nickles requested Tuesday's meeting with organizers of the Oklahoma 
County Methamphetamine Summit, which will be July 25.

Oklahoma is one of four states chosen to play host to a summit this 
summer to find ways to prevent and reduce methamphetamine use. 
Oklahoma County got the summit because of its serious methamphetamine 
problem.

In Oklahoma City, the number of seized methamphetamine labs has 
jumped from 10 in 1997 to 192 last year. Investigators seized 1,193 
methamphetamine labs last year throughout Oklahoma.

Capt. Mike Hoskins, who heads the Oklahoma City Police Department's 
narcotic's unit, said about 80 percent of the time they find children 
are present or live where labs are seized.

U.S. Attorney Robert McCampbell, of the Western District in Oklahoma, 
said 800 children were present at labs busted in the past two years 
nationally.

"Think about that ... thousands and thousands of children are present 
and around these labs," McCampbell said.

The filing of meth-related charges has increased 40 percent in 
Oklahoma County, Hoskins said.

District Attorney Wes Lane told Nickles those convicted of 
manufacturing methamphetamine are looking at prison time that isn't 
negotiable.

"Considering the danger people are put in, whether it is police 
officers or people sent in to deconstruct those labs or family 
members," Lane said, "this is a tremendous hazardous process."

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, National Crime Prevention 
Council and Community Oriented Policing Services have joined with 
Lane to develop a plan to prevent and reduce methamphetamine use.

The goal of the summit is to create a comprehensive plan for 
methamphetamine prevention, treatment, enforcement, education and 
continuing care needs for the Oklahoma County area.

The children speak to the complexity of the meth problem, Colleen 
Minson, of the National Crime Prevention Council, told Nickles.

"The children not only have to be decontaminated and treated," Minson 
said, "we found in meth labs there are almost always guns present and 
pornography, and some of them have been sexually abused as well. 
There are all kinds of child-endangered issues."
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