Pubdate: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 Source: Las Vegas Sun (NV) Copyright: 2005 Las Vegas Sun, Inc Contact: http://www.lasvegassun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/234 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) ABOUT 200 PEOPLE TACKLE METH EPIDEMIC AT NEVADA CONFERENCE MINDEN, Nev. - More than 200 people from Nevada and California gathered in Minden to discuss steps to combat the methamphetamine epidemic. The Partnership of Community Resources and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California sponsored the all-day program Friday at the Carson Valley Inn. Meth was once associated with rural, blue-collar users. But the drug has invaded big cities and its abusers now include members of all racial and economic groups, said Washoe Tribal Chairman Brian Wallace. "Given all the serious challenges that face us, I've never seen one more serious than what we're talking about today," Wallace said. "Fighting this binds us together more closely than ever ... We're watching our communities eat themselves from within," he said. Speakers included law enforcement authorities, treatment professionals and authors. Ellen Hopkins of Carson City, whose novel "Crank" was based on her daughter's experience with meth, referred to the illegal drug as "the monster." "If you are a parent, put the blame aside," Hopkins 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, coordinator for the Kansas Methamphetamine Prevention Project, urged communities to take a local approach to dealing with the problem. Communities shouldn't wait for tragedy to strike when dealing with children of meth-addicted parents, Cain added. The conference was billed as the initial step in a community response to combating meth, which federal authorities say has surpassed marijuana as the greatest danger to the nation's children. "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 of the University of Nevada, Reno's Cooperative Extension Office in Gardnerville. Cheryl Bricker, executive director of the Partnership of Community Resources, was pleased with the turnout that included representatives from 12 of Nevada's 17 counties. "Sometimes you go along thinking you're fighting this battle alone," she said. "It was very gratifying to see how energized people are to go to work in their communities." Meth abuse has become the nation's leading drug problem affecting local law enforcement agencies, according to a recent survey of 500 sheriff's departments in 45 states. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth