Pubdate: Sat, 23 May 2009 Source: Galesburg Register-Mail (IL) Copyright: 2009 Galesburg Register-Mail Contact: http://www.register-mail.com/news/letters/index.html Website: http://www.galesburg.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3864 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) EDITORS' ROUNDTABLE: FIGHTING METH What Can The Community Do To Fight The Spread Of Methamphetamine? Make the drug unattractive It's hard to say how we can effectively combat methamphetamine in our community, or anywhere else. We already attack the enemy on two fronts. We try to educate our kids about the dangers of drug abuse and advertising campaigns show teens and adults the horrifying effects of meth addiction. We attempt to limit access to the ingredients, infringing on the freedoms of law-abiding cold-medicine users. Farmers lock and monitor their anhydrous ammonia supplies. When those measures fail, we rely on law enforcement to sniff out meth labs -- sometimes a house fire makes it easy -- and nab the fiends. Of course, by then we're treating the symptom, not preventing the disease. Sadly, it seems some folks are predisposed to drug abuse. The lure of the high overpowers the fear of the consequences. The trick would seem to be to find a way to reverse that. Make the prospects of meth addiction so obvious and so terrible that it would lose it's allure. And if I knew how to do that, I probably wouldn't be in the newspaper business. -- Rob Buck, local news editor Get public involved in reporting labs As we're figuring out the best way to combat methamphetamine in our city, it's worth noting that alcohol will kill far more people and ruin far more lives than meth ever will. Meth isn't destroying Galesburg, but it does pose a danger. And, the Galesburg Police Department reports seeing more meth activity over recent months. Aside from the obvious harm it causes to those who use it -- including their families (especially children) -- the biggest threat to our neighborhoods is the manufacture of meth. GPD reports 31 arrests since January 2008 for production of methamphetamine. Making meth requires the use of hazardous, flammable, explosive chemicals, often by people who aren't thinking safety first. No one wants one of these next door, nor do they want the traffic that comes with dealing meth in the neighborhood. I honestly don't know how much emphasis the Knox County Sheriff's Department and the city police put on busting meth makers and dealers -- it's a hard thing to quantify. As residents we can educate ourselves about the signs of meth labs and report that activity to the police. The mayor's plan to form a group to coordinate efforts between public entities and the police departments could add focus to the effort. Part of that effort should be to help us identify people who have meth addictions so we can try to get them some help. Maybe we could establish a hotline people could call to find help for friends and family members. Meth is a public issue and the public must be a part of the solution. -- Tom Martin, editor Prevention efforts need a boost Local law enforcement agencies sharing information and cracking down on meth labs obviously are big parts of stopping the spread of meth production and use. So is legislation such as the meth precursor act, which prohibits a person from purchasing 7,500 milligrams or more of any type of epehdrine-based cold medicine during a 30-day period, or from buying more than one package at a time. The significant number of people arrested on meth and meth precursor charges each month shows these efforts are working to combat the problem in some way. Unfortunately, it also shows that meth is a serious problem in this area and one that has the potential to spiral out of control. According to the Illinois Meth Project, our state ranks fourth in meth arrests in the country, and 72 percent of the people in treatment for meth started using at age 17 or younger. To curb the spread of meth use, prevention efforts -- particularly those directed at young people -- must be ramped up. Youth need to be aware of the gruesome and devastating physical and mental effects of methamphetamine -- and schools, law enforcement agencies and drug use prevention organizations need to be leading that charge. -- Jane Carlson, features editor - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom