Pubdate: Sun, 14 Aug 2005
Source: Record-Courier (Gardnerville, NV)
Copyright: 2005 The Record-Courier
Contact:  http://www.recordcourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1353
Author: Sheila Gardner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

'WE'RE BEING STALKED BY IT'

More than 200 people from 12 Nevada counties and Northern California packed 
a conference room at the Carson Valley Inn on Friday to learn what they 
could do to combat the effects of methamphetamine.

"Given all the serious challenges that face us, I've never seen one more 
serious than what we're talking about today. We're being stalked by it," 
said Washoe Tribal Chairman Brian Wallace in opening remarks.

Wallace said the problem crossed racial, economic and social boundaries.

"Fighting this binds us together more closely than ever. We're all looking 
for strong, healthy children. We're watching our communities eat themselves 
from within," he said.

The Partnership of Community Resources and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and 
California sponsored the day-long program on methamphetamine to educate 
participants on the extent of the problem and how the community can come up 
with solutions.

Speakers came from several disciplines including law enforcement, and 
treatment professionals.

Carson City author Ellen Hopkins who wrote the novel "Crank" based on her 
daughter's experience with methamphetamine was the lunch speaker.

She referred to methamphetamine as "the monster" and said her daughter's 
story was her story, too.

"If you are a parent, put the blame aside," she said. "There's plenty of 
blame to go around, but it's not about the blame. It's about trying to help 
them."

Cristi Cain, project coordinator for the Kansas Methamphetamine Prevention 
Project, outlined what communities can do.

In dealing with drug-endangered children, she said communities shouldn't 
wait for tragedy to strike. She told the story of a baby in Kansas born 
addicted to methamphetamine who was returned to the custody of his mother. 
Three weeks later he died from shaken-baby syndrome.

She recommended communities take a local approach.

"There's a tendency to go global, but it's much more successful at the 
community level because of different policies and different agencies in 
communities."

During a community strategy session at the end of the formal presentations, 
NAPA Auto Parts store owner Robert Simpson said he was surprised that his 
store and similar businesses sell supplies used in the production of 
methamphetamine.

"We sell three-quarters of them. I had no clue," Simpson said. "If we just 
get the information out."

Simpson said in his work as an associate pastor, he sees what he called 
"the other side."

"It kind of shocks me, especially when you see start talking about the 
children," Simpson said.

Partnership executive director Cheryl Bricker said she was pleased with the 
turnout.

"It's a dream to be together with this many people who want to address this 
problem," Bricker said. "Sometimes you go along thinking you're fighting 
this battle alone. It was very gratifying to see how energized people are 
to go to work in their communities. This is very powerful."

Friday's conference was the initial step in a community response to 
combating the drug.

Participants from Douglas County agreed to meet in two weeks to continue 
the momentum generated by the workshop.

"This is a start to a community process to identify the problem, look at 
resources, set up a plan, and look at prevention and intervention," said 
Steve Lewis, education educator of the University of Nevada, Reno, 
Cooperative Extension Office in Gardnerville.

Other sponsors included Carson Valley Medical Center, Carson Valley Inn, 
Starbucks Coffee and the National Association of Social Workers.
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MAP posted-by: Beth