Pubdate: Sun, 10 Aug 2008
Source: Eastern Arizona Courier (AZ)
Copyright: 2008, Eastern Arizona Courier
Contact:  http://www.eacourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1674
Author: Diane Saunders
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

ANTI-METH COALITION RECEIVES $30,000 GRANT

The Graham County Anti-Meth Coalition has received a  $30,000 grant
from the office of Arizona Gov. Janet  Napolitano to fight illegal
drug use.

Members of the coalition's board learned of the grant  during a
planning session Tuesday. Kathy Grimes, the  coalition's coordinator,
said the group also has $8,000  to use for programs in Graham County
schools.

The Anti-Meth Coalition began in 2003 with several  Graham County
social and law enforcement agencies  banding together to fight the use
of methamphetamines  and other illegal drugs. Grimes said the
coalition has  received funding from the governor's office for the
last three years.

Board members began mapping out its anti-drug abuse  campaign for the
next 12 months, including a  presentation at the Eastern Arizona
College at 11 a.m.  Aug. 21 and a "dump the drugs day" Sept. 20 at the
  Mount Graham Regional Medical Center.

People can bring their expired prescriptions and  over-the-counter
medicines to the hospital for  incineration. This type of disposal is
preferred over  flushing medicines down the toilet or placing them
with  household trash because traces of the drugs are  leaching into
the groundwater and surface water,  experts say.

Grimes said the coalition's dump the drugs day last  spring was
successful and resulted in area residents  continuing to bring their
old medications to the  hospital for disposal.

Board members also talked about initiating a "safe and  secure"
program for keeping prescription drugs under  lock and key. Metal
boxes equipped with a lock will be  purchased by the coalition and
loaned to senior  citizens and others. Medicines can be placed in
these  boxes, which are then locked. This would limit access  to the
medicines, thus reducing the number of thefts.

Abuse of prescription drugs has increased, especially  in teens. Law
enforcement officials say the drug  abusers often steal the
medications from family  members.
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