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| Meth-pregnancy bill draws national criticism CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Some national health groups and professionals are criticizing a bill in the Wyoming House that would allow criminal prosecution of mothers who expose their newborn children to methamphetamine in the womb. Among the groups criticizing the bill is the American Public Health Association. The groups have written to lawmakers and Governor Dave Freudenthal saying the bill would discourage women from seeking medical care. Representative Elaine Harvey is a Republican from Lovell, and the main sponsor of the bill. She says she agrees that meth addicts need treatment. But, she says, many addicts won't seek treatment on their own -- and that's why the state needs to step in. Harvey says her bill would allow Wyoming's drug courts to send mothers who took meth when they're pregnant to get intensive outpatient treatment. She says the courts could also require parenting classes, and require that the mothers stay employed. |
| CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) The Senate today (Wednesday) approved of requiring property owners to clean up methamphetamine labs or risk having to reimburse the state to do so. Senators voted 26 to nothing for the bill. The measure now heads to the House. Meth production often leaves behind toxic substances that can be difficult and expensive to clean up. Under the bill, owners of property where a meth lab has operated could be given 90 days to hire a certified contractor to clean up. |
| GLENWOOD SPRINGS (AP) A 26-year-old Glenwood Springs woman already convicted of possession of methamphetamines now is charged with child abuse because her newborn had the drug in its system. Police detective Amy Roggie said Tishe Quintana apparently used the drug in the week before her baby girl was born. Her conviction was for use in September. The baby, named Justice, is doing well and is in the care of Social Services. However, Roggie said the child may experience problems later. Courtesy: 9News-KUSA-TV Denver Tim Martin Media Director |
| Sen. Salazar Announces "Priority" Federal Funding Status for 10 Colorado Drug Task Forces WASHINGTON, D.C - Methamphetamine use and addiction is a growing and dangerous problem across Colorado, especially in rural areas on the Eastern Plains and Western Slope. United States Senator Ken Salazar today announced that his efforts in Congress to combat meth have led to 10 drug task forces across Colorado securing "priority" funding status under the FY07 Commerce-Justice- Science (CJS) appropriations bill, the first step towards a share of $85 million in national anti-meth funding. "Meth is a shadow falling across Colorado, especially our rural communities," said Senator Salazar. "Ten Colorado agencies will now be at the front of the line for funding because they are already on the front lines of the war against meth." The "priority" funding status for these drug task forces come as a result of direct outreach to law enforcement experts and leaders in Colorado by Senator Salazar earlier this year, including the County Sheriffs of Colorado, the Colorado District Attorneys Council and the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. The 10 multi-jurisdictional drug task forces tagged for "priority" funding are:
Since coming to the Senate in 2005, Senator Salazar has been especially active in fighting methamphetamine. In 2006, Senator Salazar successfully added the Combat Meth Act, one of his first co-sponsored bills in the Senate, to the PATRIOT Act reauthorization signed into law by President Bush earlier this year. The Combat Meth Act limits the sale of pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient used to make methamphetamine, stiffens penalties for production and trafficking, and creates restrictions on the production of meth. It also provides an additional $99 million per year for the training of local and state officials on identifying and locking up meth offenders, and $20 million to help all levels of government provide help and education to children who have been affected by meth. Senator Salazar has also fought to create an anti-meth task force within the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The FY07 CJS Appropriations bill now goes on for consideration by the full Senate. |
| US warns of 'global meth threat' The US authorities have warned that the addictive drug methamphetamine has become a "global threat". US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Karen Tandy said global users of methamphetamine outnumbered cocaine and heroin users combined. She was speaking at an international narcotics conference in Canada. Methamphetamine, or crystal meth, is a stimulant which induces euphoria, but can lead to side effects such as violent behaviour and depression. Delegates at the 24th International Drug Enforcement Conference in Montreal were told that synthetic drugs such as ecstasy and methamphetamine were becoming a worldwide phenomenon. "Methamphetamine trafficking and the movement of its precursor chemicals are an increasing global threat," Ms Tandy told the conference. "More than 26 million people worldwide use amphetamines - largely methamphetamines... ," she added. Crime link She cited the example of a laboratory in Indonesia, raided in November, which had exports linked to Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and the US. METHAMPHETAMINE
The raw ingredients of the drug were being shipped from India and China and smuggled through third countries, she added. Dr Paul Thompson, a California-based neuroscientist researching the effects of the drug, told the BBC's World Today programme that the spread of the drug could lead to an increase in violent crime. "We know that many of the people that are arrested in Los Angeles - about 40% of them - have been using methamphetamine," he said. "We're worried that as this drug is spreading throughout the US and overseas, this could produce a massive increase in violent crime." Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4757179.stm Published: 2006/05/10 09:49:35 GMT |
| March 30, 2006 SENATOR ALLARD ADDS METH PROVISION TO IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL BEFORE THE SENATE WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colorado) introduced an amendment Thursday to the immigration reform legislation before the Senate aimed at bolstering the federal government's effort to stop the illegal flow of methamphetamine across our borders. "Colorado, at the crossroads of the Rocky Mountain West, is a hot spot for the distribution of methamphetamine. With the Patriot Act, Congress passed comprehensive legislation to combat methamphetamine earlier this year. But this initiative can be improved by concentrating our efforts to expedite an effective plan to tackle this scourge as it is being smuggled across our border," Senator Allard said in a speech on the Senate floor. "The main thrust of my amendment would speed up U.S. coordination of an international effort to control and crack down on the ingredients needed to make meth," Senator Allard said. "The methamphetamine production abroad is dependent on a steady supply of ingredients from other foreign sources. These foreign laboratories, often termed as 'super labs,' are able to produce more than 10 pounds a day of highly pure methamphetamine. These labs then traffic their product into our county where there is a market for methamphetamine," Senator Allard said. "It is clear that one of the steps we must take is to reign in international trafficking in meth ingredients, and the immigration legislation now before the Senate offers an excellent vehicle for that effort," Senator Allard said. "The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that an alarming two- thirds of the methamphetamine used in the United States comes from these large foreign labs, while the remaining one-third consumed in this country comes from the small, toxic, local laboratories," Senator Allard said. "We must set a tough standard for keeping excessive amounts of pseudophedrine products out of the hands of methamphetamine traffickers. We must outline a specific plan to identify the top exporters of methamphetamine precursor chemicals and work to get them to curtail these exports," Senator Allard said. "We must be prepared to be provide the funding needed to secure our borders, ports of entry, and other methamphetamine trafficking windows that are currently being exploited by drug traffickers," Senator Allard said. "My amendment requires the administration to deliver a plan within 90 days of the enactment of this act, and calls for a Government Accountability Office report to ensure that our government is fulfilling its obligations under the legislation." |
| CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - Experts on methamphetamine use say that all aspects of Wyoming society must come together to battle the scourge of meth abuse in the state. The experts testified in Casper today (Thursday) before a U-S Senate committee hearing. The hearing was hosted by Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi. Law enforcement as well as medical professionals and representatives of social agencies painted a grim picture of the effect that meth has been having on Wyoming. Casper Police Chief Tom Pagel says Wyoming has been wrestling with an explosive rise in methamphetamine use since the early 1990s. Pagel says the state's response has been too slow, and every day that goes by sees more meth coming into the state, mostly from Mexico. Many panelists emphasized the need for prevention. Anna Maki is the meth initiative coordinator with the Wyoming Substance Abuse Division. She says children who report that they are habitual smokers are eight times more likely than nonsmokers to use meth. |
| March 13, 2006 Sen. Salazar Announces Funding Opportunities for Local Law Enforcement to Combat Meth Denver, CO - In a letter sent to more than 300 of Colorado's law enforcement officials, Senator Salazar announced additional funds to be used to fight the producers and distributors of methamphetamine. The Senator's letter is intended to provide details of the Combat Meth Act, for law enforcement officials so that they may more effectively fight the spread and use of meth. Senator Salazar was an original co-sponsor of the Combat Meth Act. The Combat Meth Act was incorporated into the recently passed PATRIOT Act. The Act will provide an additional $99 million per year for the training of local and state officials on identifying and locking up meth offenders, it also provides $20 million to help all levels of government provide help and education to children who have been affected by meth. In addition, the Act will also stiffen penalties for production and trafficking and create restrictions on the production of meth. "Meth has destroyed the lives of numerous families across the country. However, this deadly drug has had a more significant impact across rural America. Many of our local communities do not have the resources they need to prevent the production of meth. I believe the tools provided in the Combat Meth Act are a necessary step to stop the production and distribution of meth. I know these funds can and will be used to save lives" Senator Salazar stated. The letter from the Senator was sent to 304 law enforcement officials around the state. A copy of the letter can be found by clicking here. Kyle Miller Staff Assistant U.S. Senator Ken Salazar 2300 15th St., Ste. 450 Denver, CO 80202 303-455-7600 kyle_miller@salazar.senate.gov |
| Report finds sharp rise in treatment rates for meth abuse WASHINGTON (AP) - A new report says the number of people seeking treatment for methamphetamine abuse more than quadrupled from 1993 to 2003 nationwide. Utah is among 18 states with meth treatment rates higher than the national rate, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. States in the Midwest and South that had few meth patients a decade ago are now seeing a sharp rise in admissions to treatment centers. The findings mirror the trend of meth abuse moving gradually from the West - where the drug first became popular - across the Midwest and South to the East Coast. Nationwide, the admission rate for treatment of methamphetamine or amphetamine addiction rose from 28 thousand in 1993 to nearly 136 thousand patients in 2003. |
| December 16, 2005 House OKs Meth Bill; Measure Includes Treatment Component Special Report: The Federal Response to Methamphetamine By Bob Curley Part One of Two A measure passed by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the renewal of the Patriot Act would tighten controls on chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine, toughen penalties on traffickers, and authorizes funding for drug courts and treatment for pregnant and parenting women. The "Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005" (for PDF of bill, click here; for PDF summary of legislation, click here) represents the marriage of a bill proposed by Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) and another cosponsored by Sens. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). If approved by the Senate, the measure would require drugs containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine -- including well-known cold medicines like Sudafed -- to be stored behind pharmacy counters and would require buyers to show ID and sign a logbook. Daily purchase limits also would be imposed. The bill would mandate these steps for states that have not previously passed their own anti-meth legislation, but would not supersede tougher state laws. "The heart of this legislation is a strong standard for keeping pseudoephedrine products out of the hands of meth cooks," said Feinstein. "We know this approach works -- in Oklahoma there was an immediate 80 percent drop in meth labs seized. It is a good, tough bill that strikes the right balance and will give law enforcement the tools they need to confront the epidemic." The measure also authorizes the Justice Department to award up to $20 million annually in grants to aid children who are exposed to methamphetamine at home, as well as an unspecified sum of money for addiction treatment grants targeting pregnant and parenting female meth users involved in the criminal-justice system. An additional $70 million is authorized for drug courts that conduct drug testing of offenders and use graduated sanctions for those who fail drug tests; also included in the bill is a call for a study on the feasibility of using drug courts for drug offenders in the federal system. Law-enforcement agencies in meth "hot spots" would receive $99 million annually for investigating meth trafficking and cleaning up meth labs. "This bill was originally full of draconian mandatory minimums and contained no money for drug treatment, but after an exhausting fight, the mandatory minimums were killed and money for drug treatment was added," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. Andrew Kessler, director of government relations for NAADAC: the Association for Addiction Counselors -- which endorsed the bill -- praised Souder and other legislative sponsors for "giving law enforcement a fighting chance to do their job fighting methamphetamine." But he also called for Congress, which has dozens of other meth-related bills currently under consideration, to support more meth treatment and prevention. "The [Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act] has a law-enforcement slant, and although that's an important part of the puzzle, we'd like to see other legislation follow," Kessler said. Piper was critical of a provision that adds up to 20 years in prison for selling or making methamphetamine in a home where a child resides, and said that restricting the sale of cold medicines "won't reduce the availability of methamphetamine or the harms associated with methamphetamine abuse." Some local law-enforcement officials, for example, have reported an increase in imported meth from Mexican "superlabs" after crackdowns on locally available drug ingredients shut down smalltime meth labs in their communities. Supporters of the meth legislation attached the measure to the House and Senate versions of the Patriot Act to ensure action during this session of Congress. The renewal of the Patriot Act -- considered a "must-pass" bill -- was approved by the House but is running into trouble in the Senate, with some Senators opposing provisions allowing roving wiretaps and government access to private medical records and information on library activity. The meth legislation received strong support in both houses of Congress despite initial opposition from the pharmaceutical industry, which raised concerns about restricting over-the-counter sales of popular cold medications. |
| December 20, 2005 Is the Meth 'Epidemic' Real? Special Report: The Federal Response to Methamphetamine By Bob Curley Part Two of Two Politicians from states hard-hit by methamphetamine abuse -- notably Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) -- have called meth use a national 'epidemic' that demands more attention from the federal government. The Indiana conservative has been harshly critical of the Bush administration for failing to focus adequate attention and resources on meth, calling the Office of National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) approach to meth "pathetic" and demanding the resignation of agency staff members. Souder's anger was piqued by the Bush administration's FY2006 budget plan, which proposed cutting funding for local anti-drug task forces. Lawmakers from states heavily impacted by meth use were also taken aback by statements from federal drug officials, who insisted earlier this year that meth was more of a regional problem than a national epidemic. Deputy drug czar Scott Burns was excoriated by lawmakers in July for saying that police in the Northeast would "laugh if we told them there was a meth epidemic" because their primary drug of concern is heroin. In July, a National Association of Counties survey of law-enforcement agencies found that a solid majority considered meth their biggest problem. "Methamphetamine is the worst drug I've encountered in my nearly 20 years in public life," said Rep. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) as he recently joined drug czar John Walters in unveiling a new public-service campaign focusing on meth. Souder has called meth "the most dangerous drug in America," while Rep. Tom Osborne (R-Neb.) called the drug "the biggest threat to the United States, maybe even including al-Qaida." At the PSA unveiling in November, Walters said, "The methamphetamine challenge has touched communities across this Nation differently, but its devastating consequences are borne by all Americans." A Nov. 14 ONDCP press release noted that, "Once a threat largely in the Southwest, use and production of methamphetamine has moved steadily eastward, with especially severe impact on the Midwest, Northwest, and portions of the South." But does all of that make make for a meth 'epidemic'? At the same press conference, ONDCP also stressed that overall meth use in the U.S. is declining, a contention echoed in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The annual survey found that less than one percent of Americans -- about 583,000 people -- were current users of meth, while 4.9 percent of survey respondents said they had tried the drug at least once. "You can clearly see that we do not have something that is growing," a SAMHSA source familiar with the report findings told Join Together, adding that while meth is dangerous and driving up demand for treatment services in some states, "the number of people using meth is not as large as the number of people using other drugs." For example, the NSDUH noted, 5.6 million Americans used cocaine last year, and about 2.2 million used inhalants. Overall, meth-use numbers are much closer to heroin prevalence, the survey said; about 398,000 Americans were current users of heroin in 2004, according to SAMHSA. "When you look at the data, meth use has either fallen or remained steady over the last three years. Also, most people who use meth never develop any problems," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. "The flattening (or decreasing) of meth-use rates, combined with the fact that only a fraction of meth users are threats to themselves or others, suggests that we don't have the kind of crisis that requires radical steps, like violating people's civil liberties or increasing sentences for nonviolent drug offenses." But Andrew Kessler, director of government relations for NAADAC: The Association for Addiction Counselors, told Join Together that "NAADAC believes there is a methamphetamine epidemic in the U.S., and it's getting out of control," pointing to statistics showing that seizures of meth labs have increased in most states over the past few years. Kessler said that not only are counselors treating more methamphetamine addicts, programs are being challenged by a drug that is "far more addictive than most of the other drugs they deal with." At least 90 percent of meth clients relapse, he said, and the drug causes brain damage that requires an extended recovery period even after meth use is discontinued. "Yes, there really is an epidemic of meth," said epidemiologist Raul Caetano, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. "For one reason or another that we do not understand very well, it has spread and is affecting a lot of rural areas. Maybe growth has to do with easiness of preparation of the drug, which can be made from medication sold over the counter and thus without any control." "The numbers don't suggest an 'epidemic' in the sense that we usually use that word, but the impact of meth use has been enormous," added James Copple, formerly the head of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and currently a senior policy analyst for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Copple, who in recent years has run 16 separate summit meetings on meth for state policymakers, as well as a pair of governor's conferences, said that methamphetamine has wrought economic and environmental damage far out of proportion to the raw number of drug users. He chided the Bush administration for continuing to minimize the scope of the drug problem, saying that ONDCP should be spending less money and effort on marijuana and more on meth. "Marijuana has negligible mortality and morbidity compared to methamphetamine," Copple said. "My position is that methamphetamine is our number-one drug problem." |
| December 23, 2005 One in Five Child Maltreatment Deaths in Ariz. Involve Meth In Arizona, one in five childhood deaths resulting from maltreatment involve methamphetamine, the Associated Press reported Nov. 30. According to the annual report of the Arizona Childhood Fatality Review Team, 10 percent of child deaths in 2004 involved parental drug or alcohol use, and in 20 percent of these cases meth was a factor. Thirty percent of all child deaths were preventable, researchers said. "We need better funding for substance abuse programs," said Dr. Mary Rimsza, Arizona State researcher and professor who led the report. "Not put the children in foster care, but instead let the substance-using parent get help while still taking care of their children." |
| March 23, 2005 Iowa OKs Toughest Restrictions on Cold Medicines to Fight Meth Iowa residents will have to show ID and sign their names when buying cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine under an anti-methamphetamine law approved by state lawmakers this week. Reuters reported March 23 that the law, signed by Gov. Thomas Vilsack, also would limit customers to purchasing 7.5 grams of pseudoephedrine drugs per month without a prescription. Common medications like Sudafed, PediaCare, Sinutab, Dimetapp, and Triaminic will be affected by what is touted as the toughest such legislation in the country. The drugs also will be banned from store shelves, instead being locked up behind pharmacy counters. Drugs containing pseudoephedrine can be broken down by illicit chemists to create methamphetamine. Even as they hailed the new law, however, state officials were decrying the Bush administration's budget plan, which would slash funding for anti-meth law enforcement as well as the prevention-oriented Safe and Drug-Free Schools program. "We thought this [law] would allow us to take one big step forward," said Dale Woolery, head of the Iowa governor's drug-control office. "But if we are going to see precious resources pulled out from underneath us ... you could argue we are taking one step forward, two steps back." |
| April 1, 2005 Okla. Meth Law Could Go National A pair of Congressmen from Oklahoma would like to see federal legislation that mirrors their home state's tough new anti-methamphetamine law, the Associated Press reported Feb. 24. Reps. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.) have introduced legislation restricting the sale of over-the-counter medications containing pseudoephedrine, which can be used to manufacture methamphetamine. The bill would require all states to limit sales of drugs containing pseudoephedrine to pharmacies and require purchasers to sign for the drugs, commonly used to treat cold symptoms. A number of other states have either passed similar laws or are considering them. "Nevertheless, the scourge of meth requires a nationwide effort," the lawmakers said. "Otherwise, we are giving methamphetamine makers and opportunity to make their poison in one state and simply peddle it in another state."  CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - A Casper dentist choked up on Wednesday as he described his experience treating patients with "meth mouth." Speaking at the 3rd Annual Methamphetamine Awareness Conference in Casper, Dr. Lowell Dawson yesterday (Wednesday) said he was ignorant of real life after a career in pediatric dentistry before he started providing dental care for the poor and uninsured at the Community Health Center of Central Wyoming two years ago. Chemicals in meth eat away at the teeth. Dawson showed examples of "meth mouth," showing pictures of rotted, rubbery teeth and gums. He said that in many cases, patients who visit the clinic have teeth that are too damaged to save, leaving dentists no choice but to pull them out. More than 700 people attended the start of the two-day conference, at which experts are scheduled to discuss strategies for treating addiction and other aspects of the drug epidemic. |
| CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - More than 700 people turned out yesterday for the third Wyoming Methamphetamine Conference in Casper. Talks focused on how to keep children away from the drug. John Martny, a researcher based in Denver, spoke about efforts to measure the spread of methamphetamine both when it's manufactured and when it's smoked. Unless users are injecting the drug, Martny said any children who are around it are being exposed. Casper Police Chief Tom Pagel said the state must deal with its drug-endangered children. Peg Shea, director of the Montana Meth Project, talked about efforts in her state to convince teenagers never to try the drug. She said the project has run advertisements featuring teenagers consumed by their addictions. Shea said the project became Montana's largest advertiser in September. She said she believes the project has found a winning strategy. |
| BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Showing ID isn't just for smokes and beer anymore. Starting Sunday, cold and allergy sufferers in Illinois will need identification and they must be willing to sign a log before they can buy a popular decongestant that's also used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine. State police have seen a huge jump in the number of meth lab busts in recent years - from just 24 in 1997 to nearly 1,000 each of the past three years - and the number of Illinois cases has risen to third in the nation. The state tried pulling pseudoephedrine-based medications off open shelves and putting them behind the counter last year, but Illinois remained a magnet for meth makers because other state's had even stiffer requirements, Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. Oregon, meanwhile, started a registry for cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine and saw its methamphetamine lab discoveries dropped by more than half last year. "Our hopes are that we will see similar numbers," Madigan said. She and others hope that by further limiting access to the drug found in nonprescription medications such as Sudafed, Tylenol Cold and Claritin D, will curb the growing problem. Just the requirement that buyers show ID may deter many meth users, who are often already paranoid because of the effects of the drug, said Master Sgt. Bruce Liebe, who heads the state police meth response team. The newly required logs could also become a powerful investigative tool for law enforcement, said McLean County Sheriff Dave Owens. The logs will be confidential in most respects, but available to police for drug investigations. Some pharmacists aren't as optimistic. They say the new law will give them headaches by forcing them to check IDs, log every purchaser by name and keep track of medication so buyers don't exceed 7.5 grams of pseudoephedrine a month, which authorities say is enough for daily recommended dosages of the decongestant. If they don't follow it, they could face $500 fines and possible criminal charges. Bill Martin, who owns an independent pharmacy in Bloomington, decided to simply stop selling the cold and allergy remedies rather than deal with it. "We just didn't want to hassle with the paperwork. We sell so little of it that we just pulled it off the shelves," Martin said. Shoppers, however, say they're willing to wait if the new law reverses the rise of the highly addictive, homemade drug. "You can't be in that big of a hurry if it helps the kids - not just the kids, everyone," said Nancy Harvey, 54, of Normal. As of October, 37 states had some sort of restriction on the sales of pseudoephedrine, from requiring a prescription to simply limiting the number of packages purchased at one time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Since then, Michigan has also restricted sales. Nationally, lawmakers wrote federal restrictions into legislation to extend the Patriot Act, but those restrictions weren't included in the temporary renewal that was enacted, and its fate in Congress this year is uncertain. Illinois officials acknowledge their new law isn't perfect. For now, purchases will only be logged at individual stores, meaning meth producers can still stockpile medications by hitting several pharmacies. Madigan hopes to develop a statewide database. Walgreens, based in Illinois, is considering its own database for its nearly 500 stores statewide, as well, spokesman Michael Polzin said. Lynn Webber, who owns an independent pharmacy in Bloomington, said the state might be overreacting at the expense of customers and pharmacists. "We're jousting at windmills," Webber said. "It's a terrible addiction, but it's such a small percentage of the drug users." |
| Report finds sharp rise in treatment rates for meth abuse (Eds: Note Utah content.) WASHINGTON (AP) - A new report says the number of people seeking treatment for methamphetamine abuse more than quadrupled from 1993 to 2003 nationwide. Utah is among 18 states with meth treatment rates higher than the national rate, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. States in the Midwest and South that had few meth patients a decade ago are now seeing a sharp rise in admissions to treatment centers. The findings mirror the trend of meth abuse moving gradually from the West - where the drug first became popular - across the Midwest and South to the East Coast. Nationwide, the admission rate for treatment of methamphetamine or amphetamine addiction rose from 28 thousand in 1993 to nearly 136 thousand patients in 2003. (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) AP-NY-03-02-06 1240EST |
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