Pubdate: Wed, 18 Oct 2006
Source: Times-Standard (Eureka, CA)
Copyright: 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.times-standard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1051
Author: Sara Watson Arthurs, The Times-Standard

METH USE HERE LEVELING OFF

But Whole-Community Effort Still Needed, Says Task Force

EUREKA -- Dealing with the methamphetamine problem in  Humboldt 
County will take the whole community, county  officials told the 
Humboldt County Board of Supervisors  Tuesday. But one good sign is 
that meth use here seems  to have leveled off.

Craig Hill, senior program manager for the Department  of Health and 
Human Services' Mental Health Dual  Recovery Programs, also told 
supervisors that the  number of people seeking treatment has gone up, 
which  may mean that more people are seeking help.

The supervisors held a study session on the Speed  Prevention and 
Awareness Network, the county's  methamphetamine task force. The task 
force was first  created in 2001 and started up again in 2003 after a 
hiatus. It includes three subcommittees -- one focused  on prevention 
of meth use, one on treatment options,  and one on law enforcement.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that creates feelings of  euphoria, 
followed by problems such as violent  behavior, depression, insomnia 
and hallucinations, said  Hill. He added that it can cause permanent 
damage to  areas of the brain related to memory, depression and 
anxiety, as well as stroke-producing damage.

And it's "rapidly addictive," said Helene Barney, program manager for 
the  county's Mental Health Branch Dual Recovery Programs.

The drug has multiple effects -- on families, on users'  health and 
on the legal system, she said.

Fifth District Supervisor Jill Geist added that the  drug is cheap, 
which makes it appealing to users. But,  she said, it's very toxic.

Hill added that meth affects more than just its users.  Families are 
destroyed when parents use meth, and  children often end up taken 
from the home. In addition,  the toxic chemicals used in meth 
manufacturing can  cause major environmental damage, he said.

When it comes to treatment, "We never have enough,"  Hill said. There 
is a waiting list for many programs.

The good news is that there has been more education  locally in 
recent months, he said. Public television  station KEET-TV created 
two documentaries on the  subject, and the meth task force's 
prevention committee  has formed a speakers bureau.

Mike Goldsby, program manager for health education in  the county's 
Public Health Branch, said young people  are particularly in need of 
prevention efforts.

"Prevention now can ease a lot of suffering later," he said.

Hill said he hopes to get more people involved in the  fight against 
methamphetamine.

"The task before us is challenging, but it's  attainable," Hill said.
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