Pubdate: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC) Copyright: 2005 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation Contact: http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/793 Author: Harmony Johnson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) METH CASES ON THE RISE IN COUNTY Even before she took the helm of Appalachian Counseling, where 80 to 90 percent of the people in the agency's substance abuse program are seeking treatment for methamphetamine addictions, Jane Ferguson knew how devastating the drug could be. An aunt, who had lived with her family for many years, killed herself in the early 1970s after struggling for nearly 30 years with a meth addiction. Later, the drug "decimated" the southern Illinois town where she grew up. "When I moved here in 2000, nobody knew what it was," Ferguson said. The year before, in 1999, Henderson County Sheriff's deputies investigated six meth cases, seizing $3,855 worth of the drug. These days, the problem is too epidemic to ignore. Last year, the county saw 122 meth cases and seized $201,722. From January through June of this year, deputies have already worked 67 meth cases and seized $220,425. The drug accounts for 80 to 85 percent of the county's drug complaints, said Lt. Steve Carter, head of the Sheriff's Department's narcotics division. "More significant seizures, more weight -- that's the trend thus far," he said. The area has seen at least two meth-related deaths this year. The body of 38-year-old Lori Lynn Moore was found March 21 beneath a railroad trestle near First Avenue. Polk County jail inmate Franklin Donald McMahan Jr., 43, died Feb. 22 at St. Luke's Hospital. Autopsies determined that both deaths were caused by meth overdoses. The highly addictive stimulant has effects similar to cocaine but is cheaper and lasts longer. Made from a combination of cold medicine and toxic household chemicals, meth can be "cooked" anywhere but usually in rural areas, its ingredients highly flammable and costly to clean up. In the past year, state legislators have toughened penalties for meth-related offenses. Currently, the House is considering legislation passed in the Senate that would regulate cold medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, key ingredients in meth. But many community leaders say its not enough, and not happening fast enough. They've begun taking matters into their own hands. Task Force Forms In May, 20 educators, social workers, counselors, nurses, law enforcement officers and business professionals formed Henderson County's Methamphetamine Task Force. Organized by Ferguson, the group will develop protocols for agencies that deal with meth users, as well as methods to increase public awareness, education, training, prevention and treatment. The task force, split into two subcommittees, has planned two meetings this month. The protocol committee will hold its first meeting at noon, July 19, in the Mountain Laurel training room off Fleming Street. The public awareness committee will meet at noon Monday at Appalachian Counseling. Organizers are seeking legislators, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, business people, school officials and others affected by meth use to join the task force. Course Of Treatment Ferguson said she's hoping the task force's work will yield more educational programs and treatment options for those affected by meth. "We need all we can get," she said. Currently, meth addicts have few places to turn for help. For those who wind up in jail, Henderson County has no drug treatment program, while the state prison system's program isn't aimed specifically at meth. For other users, treatment at a private facility can be costly and out of reach, especially when meth has cost them their job, education or family. Starting Aug. 1, Appalachian Counseling plans to launch a meth-specific treatment program. The intensive program includes individual, family and group counseling sessions six days a week, plus psychological and behavioral treatment, frequent drug screenings and classes on meditation, nutrition, exercise and recreation. "With meth users, the more they have (to do), the easier it is for them to stay out of trouble," Ferguson said. "The more days we see them the better." The cost of the program is based on a person's income. The agency has room for up to 20 participants, with 10 people signed up as of Friday, Ferguson said. Treatment lasts from six to 18 months, depending on each participant's needs, she said. MORE WORK, LIMITED RESOURCES As long as meth and its ingredients remain readily available, law enforcement officials predict increasing costs to society. In Polk County, where police busted four meth labs in 2004, the Sheriff's Department averages one meth-related complaint a day and one meth-related arrest a week, said Capt. Chris Beddingfield, chief detective for the department. The agency lacks an investigator whose sole responsibility is drug cases. Beddingfield said he thinks meth manufacturers target rural areas like Polk County because they know law enforcement agencies have fewer resources to combat the problem. Henderson County will gain two additional resources this year. In its 2005-06 budget, the Board of Commission approved two drug detectives for the Sheriff's Department. It's the first new staff added to the narcotics division since 1993, giving the agency a total of six investigators, Carter said. The additions are much-needed, as the explosive growth of meth has meant more responsibilities for the drug unit, he said. On request, detectives are providing meth awareness training to school officials, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses and other law enforcement officials, teaching them how to recognize meth users and manufacturers. In the past year, Carter said, detectives have given more than one such seminar a month. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth