FARMINGTON -- A behavioral health summit was held June 14, 2000, at the Farmington Civic Center -- the very same theater where the problem of methamphetamine was addressed Wednesday and Thursday.

Farmington Mayor Bill Standley said the 2000 summit was held in response to the troubles associated with alcohol -- a problem many citizens felt was "out of control."

But through the collaboration by the county's many entities to tackle a single community problem, alcohol troubles decreased, he said.

Deaths resulting from DWIs were chopped in half in 15 years, Standley said. He added San Juan County's DWI program is now a model for the state of New Mexico, and similar improvements can be done concerning the problem of meth.

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Editor's note: This is the eighth in a series of stories on the local methamphetamine crisis. The series concludes Thursday with a look at legislative plans to combat meth. The Daily Times will also provide extensive coverage of the San Juan Safe Communities Initiative Summit, set today and Thursday at the Farmington Civic Center.

FARMINGTON -- There is no silver bullet when it comes to solving the problem of methamphetamine in a community like Farmington, said David Monnette.

Monnette is the demand reduction coordinator and public information officer of the El Paso Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

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FARMINGTON - Climbing solo is an activity not recommended by climbing experts. Similarly, the problem of methamphetamine is too grand, too enormous to tackle alone, say San Juan County community leaders.

For this reason, officials and community members from all across the board are assembling next week to share ideas on how to best address the problem of methamphetamine use and criminal gang activity in the area. Called the San Juan Safe Communities Initiative Summit (SJCIS), the event will focus on these increasingly problematic activities in the county.

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