| Story Date: 10/27/2004 Methamphetamine project sought by local coalition By Terrica Caldwell area@couriernews.com The problem of methamphetamine has reached epidemic proportions in the Arkansas River Valley, local law enforcement officials told Wednesday’s meeting of the River Valley Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. “In 1997, there were prosecutions for nine meth labs in the Fifth Judicial District, and in 2003 there were prosecutions for 66 meth labs,” said David Gibbons, prosecuting attorney for the district. Gibbons and Pope County Sheriff Jay Winters were both on hand for the day-long meeting of the coalition on the campus of Arkansas Tech University. The group voted to shorten its name to the River Valley Prevention Coalition (RVPC). Marti Wilkerson, associate professor of rehabilitation science, has been approached by Gibbons and Winters about starting a pilot project in the county on the problem of methamphetamine. In turn, she asked the RVPC to sponsor the project. Wilkerson is a former president and current member of the coalition, which she helped to form. Gibbons, Winters and the Fifth Judicial District Drug Task Force have divided the meth community into three groups — users, distributors and producers. “We have to look at the community and see how it affects them directly,” Gibbons said. Winters reiterated if someone such as a retail store employee were to give information on suspicious customers and the police were to arrest the customer, then the informant would not have to testify. He also mentioned the Drug Task Force’s hotline, which was started in August. For more information on methamphetamine or to report its use, production or distribution call, 968-6258 or 1-800-231-DRUG (3784). The hotline also includes information on treatment, which is a “real positive thing,” Winters said. Winters and Gibbons both added that testament is just as important as prosecution and said that treatment is one of the goals for the drug task force. The stated goals are to decrease use, distribution and manufacturing in Pope County, to increase awareness of meth and increase treatment of meth users. The speakers also gave these warning signs of the three aspects of the drug: n Meth use: Weight loss, decreased appetite, irritability, aggression, paranoia, burned spoons, shortness of breath and long periods of sleep. n Distribution: Unexplained wealth, scales, frequent visitors, rooms or parts of rooms off limits, packages in the mail on a routine basis, borrowing money for short periods of time and late night or early morning meetings. n Production: Excess amounts of medicine containing ephedrine, empty blister pack, excess coffee filters, baggies, lithium batteries and matches, windows blocked out with wood or aluminum foil. “All aspects of the community are working hard to combat the meth (problem),” said Tammy Walters, RVPC president. “The meeting went really well. We got a lot of valuable information on how to advocate our causes with our legislators.” The 2004-05 executive board officers are: Walters, Mental Health Specialist for Child Development, Inc., president; Janet Cook, Certified Prevention Consultant for Community Services, vice president; and Leslie Fauber, RN, Public Health Nurse for Pope County Health Department, treasurer. Board members are: Bill Causey, program coordinator; Bill Hefley, intervention/linkage committee chair; Carol Admunson Lee, Safe Schools Healthy Students program director; Susan Huffmaster, tobacco committee chair; and J.M. Graves, hometown health committee. Other executive board members are: Kathleen Partridge, Freedom House clinical director; Kathy Gardner-Cole, DHS; Leah McElroy, Pope County Juvenile Officer; and Angie White, UAMS study coordinator. More than 19 different agencies are represented within the coalition. |