Pubdate: Sat, 26 Jan 2008
Source: Daily Reporter-Herald (Loveland, CO)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Reporter-Herald
Contact:  http://www.reporterherald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1710
Author: Jon Pilsner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

GROUP HOPES TO CLEAR METH USE FROM LOVELAND

Real Estate Agents Want To Educate Youth On Drug Use

John Giroux feels plenty of passion about methamphetamine.

He has one simple goal: make it CLEAR that meth has no  business in
the Loveland community.

CLEAR, the Coalition of Loveland for Education,  Awareness and
Resources, is the brainchild of Giroux  and Scott Eastman, both local
real estate agents.

The group is only a year and a half old, but on Friday  Giroux, along
with members of local governments and law  enforcement agencies,
discussed how CLEAR could help  eliminate meth use in Loveland.

Those in attendance at the Island Grove Regional  Treatment Center in
Loveland, which included members of  the Thompson School District
Board of Education and  others working in the drug prevention and
rehabilitation field, held a round-table discussion to  brainstorm
ideas on how to make CLEAR's goals a  reality.

"I love Loveland, and people, we have a great thing  going here," said
Giroux, who, like the other 200  volunteers in CLEAR, donates his time
outside his daily  job. "I have to prevent this from going any
further.  It's already ahead of us."

According to statistics from Island Grove, the  percentage of patients
in its facility due to meth  addiction has increased four-fold in the
past five  years.

The meeting lasted about two hours, and although the  ideas and
questions were as diverse as the governments  and organizations
represented, it ended with a  commitment from all in attendance to
meet again in the  coming month.

Most of the participants agreed that education of young  teenagers and
their parents was the best way to begin.  Citing a cliche on numerous
occasions -- "An ounce of  prevention is worth a pound of cure" --
Giroux  encouraged everyone in attendance to help his group  form a
solid plan of action.

Larimer County Manager Frank Lancaster told the group  that meth saps
not only law enforcement's time, energy  and funding, but disposing of
and controlling the  highly addictive drug drains other county
departments,  including hazardous material cleanup teams and medical
resources.

Loveland Police Chief Luke Hecker had stronger words to  describe the
rising meth addiction.

"I am convinced that meth is the result of evilness,"  Hecker said. "I
don't think we'll make any headway  until we understand that the
drug destroys life and  souls."

Giroux said he and Eastman have outlined about 90  percent of CLEAR's
mission, but he and everybody in  attendance agreed to meet again,
probably sometime in  the next 30 days, to pound together a plan the
organization could present to local government bodies,  such as the
Loveland City Council or the Larimer County  commissioners, for
funding and approval.

A clear plan also would allow the organization to apply  for national
grants handed out to drug prevention  programs.

"I want them to know that the real enemy is meth,"  Eastman said. "I
want them to know why they're saying  no."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Steve Heath