Pubdate: Fri, 14 Dec 2007
Source: Star Beacon, The (Ashtabula, OH)
Copyright: 2007 The Star Beacon
Contact:  http://www.starbeacon.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4021
Author: Doris Cook, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

ANTI-METH MOVEMENT

Ashtabula County Taking Part In Pilot Program To Combat
Problem

JEFFERSON -- "It is a life-death struggle to get meth  labs wiped out,
says Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann.

To help counties like Ashtabula County Dann and his  staff helped
obtain $1.8 million in federal grants to  start methamphetamine pilot
initiative program.

Ashtabula County Sheriff's Department received a  $449,661 portion of
the total for its model initiative  in eradicating, enforcing,
preventative and education  awareness program on the growing meth drug
problems  here. Dann along with staff members and Special Agent
Supervisor Scott Duff with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal  Identification
and Investigation spent part of Friday  morning at a press conference
in Jefferson to explain  the federal grant goals.

Joining Ashtabula County Sheriff William Johnson and  his top
administrative staff with Dann were Trumbull  County Sheriff Thomas
Altier, Scott Duff, special agent  supervisor with the Ohio Bureau of
Criminal  identification and Investigation, and other BCII staff  employees.

Dann said the grant will be used to begin a  collaborative effort to
cut down the meth drug cases by  arming law enforcement agencies with
better equipment  for surveillance. A portion of the money will be
aimed  at rehabilitation resources, preventative and education
awareness for the general public.

"Ohio is not immune to the crisis of methamphetamine  use and the
threat it poses to our neighborhoods, our  peace officers and our
children," Dann said.

Dann said BCII Supervisor Duff and his staff will train  officers on
handling meth lab detection and proper  clean up work.

"Ohio has a meth problem. So far in 2007 we have tagged  1,500 meth
labs (to take down). One of the problems is  that meth can be
manufactured anywhere," Dann said.

Statistical information for Ashtabula's grant was  coordinated by
Ashtabula sheriff's jail administrator,  Lt. Terry Moisio.

"We want to thank the attorney general's office, BCII  and the
sheriff's of Trumbull and Geauga counties in  helping us get the
grant. This is a collaborative  effort by all counties," said Moisio
as he welcomed  officials in law enforcement, courts personnel,
Ashtabula County commissioners and County Prosecutor  Thomas Sartini.

Sartini said his office has put together an education  awareness
program and will offer it at area schools and  for public groups.

"With the first hit (of the drug), you are addicted to  your brain. It
kills and that's what I tell our kids  and teachers; and you never get
the same high again. So  you continue to use it," Sartini told the
group showing  some of the photos of meth users on posters.
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