Pubdate: Wed, 02 Aug 2006 Source: News-Topic, The (NC) Copyright: 2006 News-Topic Contact: http://www.newstopic.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1739 Author: Joshua Harris Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John) CALDWELL HOSTS NATIONAL DRUG CZAR Law enforcement officials from across the 10th Congressional District gathered in the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office Tuesday to provide input to the director of the White House drug policy office John Walters and U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., about federal drug policy relating to the methamphetamine problem in western North Carolina. A recent state law put ephedrine and pseudoephedrine behind the counters in North Carolina and made it more difficult to set up local labs to produce meth. But now meth is coming into the nation and western North Carolina from Mexico, said Walters and McHenry. During a closed door meeting from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Walters, McHenry and law enforcement officials discussed what methods are working in the war on meth, and what resources law enforcement need to continue the fight. "You have been hard hit by meth in this area. Meth continues to be a serious problem here," Walters said during a press conference after the meeting. "Our goal was to learn from (local law enforcement) how those resources are doing, how effective they are in their hands and how we can adapt them." Walters said the federal government's role is to provide funding and coordinate the efforts of law enforcement at the federal state and local level. Walters is the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and coordinates all aspects of federal drug programs, policy and spending. McHenry invited the federal official to Caldwell County as a follow-up to a similar Sheriff conference in February 2005 and a Congressional Hearing on April 2006 in Caldwell County where many of the same officials gave input on the meth menace. "This roundtable will bring together national and local leaders to develop successful strategies for stamping out meth in western North Carolina," McHenry said. McHenry said federal policy makers realized that the federal government isn't nimble enough to deal with treating meth addicts. Current policy may help arrest and punish users, but they are still users when they get back on the streets, and so the demand is still there for meth. "People need to have treatment when they come out," McHenry said. "You have to have drug courts." Drug courts handle cases involving drug-addicted offenders through an extensive supervision and treatment program, according to the according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Web site. In exchange for successfully completing the program, the court may dismiss a person's original charge, reduce or set aside a sentence, offer some lesser penalty, or offer a combination of these. If treatment isn't addressed, the demand remains. "Now there is importation of Mexican (meth) coming up into western North Carolina," McHenry said. In addition to drug courts, Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark and Rutherford County Sheriff Phillip Byers said law enforcement discussed increased interdiction, treatment and possible random student drug testing with the Drug Czar. "We have more addicts than ever, so we are looking at intervention, a way to treat the addicts," Byers said. "We need to look at treatment so we can have the people who are now addicted back to normal." Clark agreed with Byers and added that education is very important and drug programs like D.A.R.E. should move with students from middle school into high school to remind students of the danger of drugs. He wants to do more research on the issue, but Clark said that non-punitive random student drug testing could help school and law enforcement officials identify any possible issues early and react with treatment. "I think a lot of questions need to be answered," Clark said about random student drug testing. "But I think it is a very good idea." Clark, Byers and the other law enforcement officials, as well as McHenry and Walters, also stressed that controlling meth and many other drugs must start at the U.S./Mexican border. "We have an enormous problem in the U.S., because we have a porous southern border," McHenry said. "It's a potent and terrifying issue when it comes to illicit drugs." McHenry said Mexican meth comes into the country and then in many cases into western North Carolina through Atlanta, Ga. "We must enforce our laws when it comes to border control," McHenry said. To be able to develop effective border control policy, Walters said the nation and policy makers must overcome years of the mentality that "We don't really care about our border." "We are going to be able to maintain the legitimate trade and movement of people, but increasingly stop those that are dangerous," Walters said. "That's an opportunity that's within our grasp." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek