Pubdate: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 Source: Charleston Gazette (WV) Copyright: 2005 Charleston Gazette Contact: http://www.wvgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/77 Note: Does not print out of town letters. Author: Dave Gustafson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) MAY DEADLINE SET FOR STATE METH PLAN By the end of May, West Virginia should have a comprehensive strategy to combat methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner said at the close of a statewide meth conference Wednesday. Over the next month, hundreds of West Virginians who attended the "Building Meth-Free Communities" summit this week will critique a list of recommendations to fight the drug, Warner said. A final report should be released by May 25. A draft report will be issued early next week, said conference co-coordinator Colleen Copple. After the final report is released, Gov. Joe Manchin and the state's congressional delegation will be briefed, Warner said. His office will also send a copy of the report to every county commission, sheriff's department and municipality in the state, plus every candidate for statewide office in 2006 and anyone else who wants one. "Then we'll really have to get to work," Warner said. Warner appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney John Frail to head his office's meth response. He said every government agency in the state should have a person in charge of its strategy to eradicate the drug. Warner said the conference participants came up with 188 different recommendations to combat meth and treat its victims. Those will be boiled down to a simpler plan with clear goals and plans to reach them, he said. More than 300 people from law enforcement, public health, education and other interested parties attended the first statewide meth conference this week at the Charleston Marriott, which Warner's office sponsored. In 2004, 145 meth labs were found in West Virginia after 75 were found in 2003, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom