Meth Project

Story Date: 9/26/2005 8:25:32 AM

Meth Project tells what to watch for

By Brooke Vermillion

When it comes to methamphetamine, local law enforcement officials are seeing less manufacturing and more distribution, which will cause warning signs to change in the community, according to local authorities.
Pope County Sheriff Jay Winters explained in the River Valley Meth Project monthly meeting law enforcement departments in the 5th Judicial District have redirected their focus and manpower to fight the changing battle during the last several months. He also asked people in the community change their focus when looking for “signs of meth.”
When manufacturing labs were more common earlier this year, the community was asked to look for signs of excess amounts of medicine containing ephedrine, propane tanks with blue corrosion, excess coffee filters, cookware with white residue, etc. Now, however, since police say they believe most of the meth found in Pope, Johnson and Franklin counties is now transported from California, Mexico and other border states instead of being manufactured locally, those signs have changed.
People are now asked to look for signs such as late-night or early-morning meetings, frequent visitors who don’t stay long, and unexplained wealth if there is a concern. To report suspicious activity, call the Drug Task Force hotline at 1-800-231-DRUG (3784).
Since the “Combat Meth Act of 2005” was enforced earlier this year in Arkansas, the sale of products used to make meth have been greatly restricted, but the problem remains. Grants became more readily available for the education, prevention and treatment of meth-related problems with the act, but it takes work to receive them.
Carol Lee, project director for Safe Schools, Healthy Students, told other meth project group members that six months of data showing the meth problem before and after would result in treatment dollars.
This data will come from different sources, but Winters explained one way during the meeting. Pope County Detention Center officials have recently begun handing out questionnaires to random people who come to the jail or the Sheriff’s office, whether arrested or simply to pay a fine.
The questionnaires ask routine questions such as age, sex and education, then asks if they’ve used methamphetamine or any other type of drug recently. The document cannot be used against the participant in court, therefore most people are cooperative and truthful, Winters said.
Although the results had not been determined at the time of the meeting, Winters estimated 60 percent of participants had used meth recently. He added very few had ever been arrested for drug charges. More information will be presented at next month’s meeting.