Pubdate: Fri, 23 Jun 2006
Source: News-Review, The (Roseburg, OR)
Copyright: 2006 The News-Review
Contact:  http://www.newsreview.info
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2623
Author: John Sowell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SHERIFF - EDUCATION THE KEY TO BATTLING METH USE

The news reports from Washington, D.C., earlier this week trumpeted 
the news that the number of methamphetamine lab busts are down this year.

Nationally, lab seizures have dropped 30 percent, according to the 
Bush administration. In Oregon, they're down 75 percent, Douglas 
County Sheriff Chris Brown told a dinner audience Thursday.

The bad news, Brown told members of the Douglas County Democratic 
Party, is that meth addiction is just as serious of a problem locally 
as it's ever been.

"It's a burglary problem. It's a domestic abuse problem. It's an 
identity theft problem," Brown said. "Meth is the catalyst for all of 
this stuff going on."

Last year's move to require cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine 
to be placed behind the counter has worked to prevent home cooks from 
producing their own methamphetamine, Brown said. However, it has 
meant an increase in the amount of processed meth coming to Oregon from Mexico.

That doesn't mean the ban on counter sales of cold medicine was a 
failure because it shifted the supply, Brown told the audience of 
about 25 people at Chi's Garden Restaurant. The real purpose of the 
law was to make homes safer and protect the lives of children.

Children of meth cooks breathed in dangerous vapors and were exposed 
to caustic chemicals, as well as the finished product.

"The law was enacted to eliminate those risks to children," Brown 
said. "It's inconvenient for people to have those medicines placed 
behind the counter, but it works."

He said children need to be educated to understand the dangers of 
methamphetamine use so they can choose to steer clear of the drug. He 
said it's the same education that has worked to lower the rate of 
smoking among United States residents.

A task force was established a few months ago in Douglas County meant 
to do just that, Brown said. The group has been working to develop 
educational tools that can be used to inform people about problems 
associated with meth.

In the near future, seminars will be given to train residents 
interested in talking with groups about meth.

"We're going to make a big push and we need your help," Brown said.

As the county's chief deputy prosecutor 30 years ago, Roseburg 
attorney Charles Lee told Brown he wrote affidavits for search 
warrants for a variety of illegal drugs. He said the potency of the 
drugs available today is much higher than it was back then. "I'm kind 
of nostalgic for some of those other drugs," Lee said sarcastically.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman