PFIZER OFFERS FUNDS FOR STATE PROGRAMS ON METH AWARENESS

NEW YORK -- A pharmaceutical company that makes cold medicine often used in
the illegal production of methamphetamine will finance an education program
to spot meth use in Arkansas schools.

Pfizer Inc also will subsidize the Arkansas Sheriff's Association
meth-awareness program, said Leo Hauser, regional manager for Pfizer
government relations.

Pfizer committed to funding both programs after company representatives
were involved in drafting state legislation last year to limit the retail
sale of cold medicine containing ephedrine and pseudephedrine.

"Education is a powerful tool to help the public understand the dangers,
the downside and the risks of methamphetamine," Hauser said. "We want to
help proactively stop or slow down meth use before it becomes an addiction
or a problem that has to be turned over to law enforcement."

The Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals has been
available through the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock for some time now. However, there hasn't been any
money to implement the program, said Deborah Flowers, project program
manager for the institute.

Flowers said the program will be taught in schools by police officers who
are certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as drug
recognition experts.

The officers will teach educators to identify signs of meth use in students
and show school nurses how to conduct appropriate medical evaluations.
School counselors will learn to effectively talk to parents about the
suspected drug use and educate them on corresponding drug laws and
treatment services.

Flowers has asked Pfizer for $100,000 -- half to finance the school
training and half to subsidize a community drug-education program taught
through the Arkansas Sheriff's Association. Both programs could operate for
two years on $100,000, she said.

Hauser said Pfizer will make a "substantial" contribution to the programs
but couldn't say how much. He said Flowers' request is more than reasonable.

Program organizers are appealing to area corporations for money to stamp
out meth and other drugs in schools and the community.

"If some local corporations, like Wal-Mart, could help us with funding, it
would make a huge difference for the community," said Vickie Critcher, the
wife of state Sen. Jack Critcher, D-Grubbs.

Vickie Critcher volunteers with the sheriff's association program, which
can't meet the demand for educating the community about meth.

"We've had seminars where we expected 50 people to show up," Critcher said.
"Instead we had 300 people and ended up turning some people away. We need
to expand this program across the state."