Pubdate: Thu, 05 Oct 2006
Source: Daily Sentinel, The (Grand Junction, CO)
Copyright: 2006 Cox Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.gjsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2084
Author: Mike Mckibbin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

GAS WORKERS WARNED OF METH DANGERS

BATTLEMENT MESA - Methamphetamine use sent his little  brother to 
jail, and Richard Mumby of Grand Junction  hopes his co-workers in 
the natural-gas industry  realize how addictive and disruptive the drug can be.

Mumby works for Nabors Drilling and attended a day-long 
methamphetamine awareness presentation Wednesday in  Battlement Mesa, 
organized in part by EnCana Oil and  Gas for employees of their 500 
contractors and  subcontractors.

Mumby told the crowd of approximately 250 people that  his 
30-year-old brother was due to be released from the  Moffat County 
Jail in Craig next month. He served time  for methamphetamine use and 
distribution, Mumby said.

"No matter what we did as a family, we couldn't be  right," Mumby 
said after the meeting. "He always did  his own thing, and it sent 
him to jail."

The presentation, by Lynn Reimer of the North Metro  Task Force and 
Thornton Police Department, Garfield  County Sheriff Lou Vallario and 
others, used emotional  video stories of former methamphetamine users 
to get  its message across about the dangers of the drug.

"This is the most addictive drug I've ever seen in my  20 years in 
law enforcement," Vallario said. "Even  worse, it's the most 
dangerous thing. We want you to  take this information out not just 
to your co-workers,  but tell your family and friends. I can't fight 
this alone."

Mumby said he wished his entire family had seen the presentation.

"I have an 11-year-old girl, and my wife's pregnant,"  he said. 
"Eight and a half years in the U.S. military,  and to see what some 
people do with their freedom ..."

EnCana spokeswoman Wendy Wiedenbeck said the  presentation was in 
place of a required safety meeting  for the companies that work for 
EnCana. The U.S. Drug  Enforcement Agency, U.S. Immigration and 
Customs  Enforcement, Garfield County Human Services and others  also 
were involved, she said.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy" against drug use,  Wiedenbeck said. 
"We wanted to take a proactive  approach, and hopefully these folks 
will go home a  little more educated and share the information."

Vallario said after the presentation he doesn't 
think  methamphetamine use by gas workers in the county is 
any  higher, per capita, than any other group.

"The wave has made it here for sure," he said. "But I'm  not one of 
those to blame the industry for the increase  in meth. You have more 
people and growth, and you're  going to have more problems."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman