Law enforcement's role Sheriff Steve Bundy in Rice County agrees with that, but he also says that it's imperative for states and communities to continue the crackdown on local meth labs. That's because while local labs account for only 20 percent of meth production, Sheriff Bundy has to use 100 percent of his resources to deal with them. And he's far ahead of much of the rest of the country. In 2001, Bundy and his department pioneered a program called Meth Watch. They enlisted local retailers to put bold, bright signs near the cold medicines warning buyers that store owners were on the watch for potential meth producers. He also enlisted members of the community - mail carriers, meter readers, road maintenance workers, teachers, and civic organization officials - educating them about the dangers of meth as well as how to spot signs of potential labs.
The results: His office now gets more tips, the number of local meth labs have declined, and when his officers do bust a lab, they find that all the items were bought from out of town, if not out of state. Bundy says Meth Watch works for two reasons: It involves the whole community, and, since most local meth producers are also users, it plays on their paranoia. "It's hard to appreciate how paranoid these individuals really are. I've been in this business 20 years and never seen anything like it," he says. Rice County's success is being replicated in communities in more than a dozen states - in part, because of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA.)
It represents the manufacturers of over-the-counter cold medicines and has been harshly criticized for opposing laws that make the drugs harder to buy. It began sponsoring Meth Watch as an alternative last year and has made more than $1 million in grants available to communities to start their own Meth Watch programs.
"We don't think Meth Watch is the only solution, but it should be a part of any comprehensive solution," says Elizabeth Assey of CHPA. The pharmaceutical lobbying group continues to oppose laws that would make pseudoephedrine and other ingredients controlled substances, which basically means they have to be obtained through a licensed pharmacist. Like law-enforcement officers, drug experts, and others, Ms. Assey stresses that improving access to treatment and prevention programs is the most effective way to deal with the meth problem, since it addresses the demand issue, not just supply. Funding cuts But funding for drug treatment continues to be cut, as will federal law-enforcement grants for local meth task forces this year.
Bundy of Rice County says that's particularly troubling since meth continues to spread to new rural areas, like upstate New York, where local budgets are already tight. That's also raising new alarms because meth abuse has recently been tied to increases in hepatitis and HIV in some rural areas. That's prompted experts to put together the first national conference on the community health implications. Luciano Colonna, executive director of the Harm Reduction Project in Salt Lake City, which is sponsoring the conference, applauds Pfizer and the retailers that support making meth production more difficult. But he, like other experts, contends that more needs to be done in prevention and treatment. "I really don't believe the problem is with the drug manufacturers, or even the drug sellers. It lies within our society," says Mr. Colonna. "We're living in a society where drugs play a major role in it, and we haven't really come to terms with that." |
