Pubdate: Mon, 08 Aug 2005
Source: Intelligencer Journal (PA)
Copyright: 2005 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.lancnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/211
Author: Brian Scheid
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SYMPOSIUM TO EXPLORE METH USE

Louise Kennedy said meth is quickly becoming Bucks' worst kept secret and 
one of its biggest problems.

"A lot of people are saying, 'How could Bucks County have a problem with 
meth (short for methamphetamine)?' " she said. "Well, there is a really big 
problem here."

Kennedy is a community engagement specialist with the Bucks County Council 
on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc. And she'll be on hand Sept. 30, when 
the council presents a symposium on the synthetic drug epidemic. The summit 
will focus mainly on the rising meth problem, but focus on other drugs such 
as GHB, scientifically known as gamma hydroxybutyrate, or more commonly as 
the date rape drug.

The summit, which is being funded through a federal grant from the Center 
for Substance Abuse, will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel on 
Old Lincoln Highway in Bensalem.

The summit, co-sponsored by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office and 
the Bucks County Courier Times, the sister paper of The Intelligencer, will 
be the first one on the meth epidemic in Bucks and the biggest summit on 
the drug in the state, Kennedy said.

The conference will be a free, one-day forum featuring drug treatment, 
prevention and law enforcement experts on everything from the impact meth 
has had on the gay community to strategies to treat drug addiction. The 
event will offer discussion on measures to protect communities from meth 
trafficking or production and updates on state legislation aimed at curbing 
meth use and distribution in Pennsylvania.

Meth, known on the street as speed, ice or crank, is highly addictive and 
can cause serious health problems such as heart failure, brain damage and 
strokes, Kennedy said. It is cheap and easy to make with ingredients 
including chemicals found in household cleaners and cold medicines, Kennedy 
said.

The drug was popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but has grown in 
popularity recently, particularly with people looking to stay awake and 
energized for long stretches of time, she said.

"Meth is making a comeback in Bucks County," said county First Assistant 
District Attorney David Zellis, who pointed to the recent arrests of a 
13-member meth distribution ring tied to the Warlocks motorcycle gang in 
Lower Bucks.

With instructions on how to make meth and other synthetic drugs readily 
available on the Internet, and the drugs containing little more than a few 
chemicals you can find in any bathroom, Zellis said the nearest meth lab 
might be in your neighbor's basement. The hazardous materials being mixed 
could lead to a catastrophic fire. He said since the drug is relatively 
easy to make, children have easier access it.

"The fact that it can now be made with various household products is of 
great concern to law enforcement and should be of great concern to 
law-abiding citizens," Zellis said.

According to figures from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 12.3 
million people in this country had tried meth at least once, an increase of 
about 40 percent from 2000 and 156 percent from 1996.

Kennedy said the summit is open to anyone, but there is space for only 200.

For more information and to register for the summit, call Tim Philpot, a 
prevention manager with the council on alcoholism and drug dependence at 
(215) 345-6644.
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MAP posted-by: Beth