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." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh