ANTI-METH COALITION RECEIVES $30,000 GRANT

The Graham County Anti-Meth Coalition has received a $30,000 grant
from the office of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to fight illegal
drug use.

Members of the coalition's board learned of the grant during a
planning session Tuesday. Kathy Grimes, the coalition's coordinator,
said the group also has $8,000 to use for programs in Graham County
schools.

The Anti-Meth Coalition began in 2003 with several Graham County
social and law enforcement agencies banding together to fight the use
of methamphetamines and other illegal drugs. Grimes said the
coalition has received funding from the governor's office for the
last three years.

Board members began mapping out its anti-drug abuse campaign for the
next 12 months, including a presentation at the Eastern Arizona
College at 11 a.m. Aug. 21 and a "dump the drugs day" Sept. 20 at the
Mount Graham Regional Medical Center.

People can bring their expired prescriptions and over-the-counter
medicines to the hospital for incineration. This type of disposal is
preferred over flushing medicines down the toilet or placing them
with household trash because traces of the drugs are leaching into
the groundwater and surface water, experts say.

Grimes said the coalition's dump the drugs day last spring was
successful and resulted in area residents continuing to bring their
old medications to the hospital for disposal.

Board members also talked about initiating a "safe and secure"
program for keeping prescription drugs under lock and key. Metal
boxes equipped with a lock will be purchased by the coalition and
loaned to senior citizens and others. Medicines can be placed in
these boxes, which are then locked. This would limit access to the
medicines, thus reducing the number of thefts.

Abuse of prescription drugs has increased, especially in teens. Law
enforcement officials say the drug abusers often steal the
medications from family members.