GROUP HOPES TO CLEAR METH USE FROM LOVELAND

Real Estate Agents Want To Educate Youth On Drug Use

John Giroux feels plenty of passion about methamphetamine.

He has one simple goal: make it CLEAR that meth has no business in
the Loveland community.

CLEAR, the Coalition of Loveland for Education, Awareness and
Resources, is the brainchild of Giroux and Scott Eastman, both local
real estate agents.

The group is only a year and a half old, but on Friday Giroux, along
with members of local governments and law enforcement agencies,
discussed how CLEAR could help eliminate meth use in Loveland.

Those in attendance at the Island Grove Regional Treatment Center in
Loveland, which included members of the Thompson School District
Board of Education and others working in the drug prevention and
rehabilitation field, held a round-table discussion to brainstorm
ideas on how to make CLEAR's goals a reality.

"I love Loveland, and people, we have a great thing going here," said
Giroux, who, like the other 200 volunteers in CLEAR, donates his time
outside his daily job. "I have to prevent this from going any
further. It's already ahead of us."

According to statistics from Island Grove, the percentage of patients
in its facility due to meth addiction has increased four-fold in the
past five years.

The meeting lasted about two hours, and although the ideas and
questions were as diverse as the governments and organizations
represented, it ended with a commitment from all in attendance to
meet again in the coming month.

Most of the participants agreed that education of young teenagers and
their parents was the best way to begin. Citing a cliche on numerous
occasions -- "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" --
Giroux encouraged everyone in attendance to help his group form a
solid plan of action.

Larimer County Manager Frank Lancaster told the group that meth saps
not only law enforcement's time, energy and funding, but disposing of
and controlling the highly addictive drug drains other county
departments, including hazardous material cleanup teams and medical
resources.

Loveland Police Chief Luke Hecker had stronger words to describe the
rising meth addiction.

"I am convinced that meth is the result of evilness," Hecker said. "I
don't think we'll make any headway until we understand that the
drug destroys life and souls."

Giroux said he and Eastman have outlined about 90 percent of CLEAR's
mission, but he and everybody in attendance agreed to meet again,
probably sometime in the next 30 days, to pound together a plan the
organization could present to local government bodies, such as the
Loveland City Council or the Larimer County commissioners, for
funding and approval.

A clear plan also would allow the organization to apply for national
grants handed out to drug prevention programs.

"I want them to know that the real enemy is meth," Eastman said. "I
want them to know why they're saying no."