Pubdate: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 Source: Indianapolis Star (IN) Copyright: 2005 Indianapolis Newspapers Inc. Contact: http://www.indystar.com/help/contact/letters.html Website: http://www.starnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/210 Author: Heather Bolejack Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) LEADERS TO BRAINSTORM FOR SOLUTIONS This week, more than 150 state leaders from 13 Midwestern states will gather in Indianapolis to share "best practices" in the fight against meth. Indiana will be in the national spotlight with Gov. Mitch Daniels hosting the first meth summit held in coordination with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. As the crossroads of America, Indiana is surrounded by states experiencing similar challenges. The threat of meth is no greater anywhere in the U.S. than in the Midwest, where more than half the meth incidents occur. That is why Midwestern governors place the epidemic at the top of their list in the fight against illegal drugs. The summit is an opportunity for everyone working to combat meth to seek out new ideas and brainstorm with other state leaders to develop creative solutions. Topics to be highlighted include prevention, treatment, environment, family and social services, and health. Among the "best practices" that Indiana will showcase include how we care for drug-endangered children and how we treat abusers who want to get clean. James Payne, director of the Department of Child Services, will discuss Indiana's Drug Endangered Children Protocol, which was designed to address the need for specific instructions on removing children from meth homes. The protocol is being used as a model by at least one other state. Meth users need to be rehabilitated while in prison to ensure they are drug-free and able to lead a normal life once released. Rehabilitating them requires extensive treatment programs designed to meet the specific needs of users. Indiana is leading the states in meth treatment facilities such as the Miami Correctional Facility and with rehab units opening in the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility and the women's Rockville Correctional Facility. This is the first women's program of its kind in the nation. The Indiana Meth-Free Coalition was formed in early 2005 in response to the Meth Protection Act pass by the legislature. This law restricts the sale of many products that are used illegally to create meth labs. Since the law went into effect in July, lab seizures have decreased dramatically. The law can only be effective if retailers and citizens are aware of the dangers associated with meth. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, in conjunction with the Meth-Free Indiana Coalition, Department of Correction and the Indiana State Police, has launched the Indiana Meth Watch Program, designed to educate retailers and citizens while empowering them to actively seek to prevent meth from being made in their communities. Finally, the meth summit will conclude with a state and regional strategic planning process designed to launch new solutions to address the epidemic. We know that the complex problem of meth will require partnered solutions with nearby states. One area in which Indiana is breaking ground is the creation of the Meth Free Indiana Data Repository, which enhances public safety through application of state-of-the-art research. The repository will provide a resource available to policy planners in the public and private sectors. To learn more about the meth summit go to www.methfreeindiana.org. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake