'OUR NO. 1 DRUG PROBLEM'

'It Is Our Responsibility To Fix It. Let's Get It Done'

Napolitano Calls For New Emphasis In Fight Vs. Meth

Gov. Janet Napolitano is calling for a crackdown on the cross-border
methamphetamine traffic and an expansion of addiction treatment to
combat the illegal drug's growing threat to public health and safety.

"We run the risk of losing entire generations of Arizonans to meth if
we don't have this as a No. 1 public priority," Napolitano said.
"This is our No. 1 drug problem. It is a public health problem. It is
a crime problem. It is a public safety problem. It is our problem,
and if it's our problem, then it is our responsibility to fix it.
Let's get it done."

At a news conference Monday, the governor presented the
recommendations of the Arizona Methamphetamine Task Force, which she
appointed in August. The 32-member task force was chaired by Pima
County Attorney Barbara LaWall.

Last fiscal year, 90 percent of the methamphetamine seized by local,
state and federal agencies was found at ports along Arizona's border
with Mexico.

Michael Johnson, a 36-year-old recovering meth addict here, said
low-grade meth from Mexico is a lot easier to find now that the sale
of pseudoephedrine, a chemical used to make meth, has been restricted here.

"It's just like water now," said Johnson, who has been in treatment
at Compass Health Care since March.

Authorities are making some headway, in part because of the
restrictions on pseudoephedrine sales. According to the Drug
Enforcement Administration, seizures statewide have dropped from
2,119 pounds in fiscal 2004 to 970 pounds in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

The task force recommended increased coordination among state, local
and federal law enforcement agencies to crack down on the smuggling
of the dangerous drug.

The treatment program operated here by Compass Health Care and La
Frontera Center has been designated by the Arizona Department of
Health Services as a Best Practices Center for Excellence and
recognized by the White House drug policy office as "unique in the country."

Johnson's mother bonded him out of jail so he could go into
treatment. He said he is facing a 15-year sentence for a
methamphetamine possession conviction, and he's worried that he won't
get treatment he needs in prison.

Napolitano's task force called for more rural and tribal treatment
programs and for the state Legislature to fund an expansion of
Arizona's treatment network.

"Meth is one of the most expensive substances to treat because it
takes longer, and current treatment demands exceed the state's
capacity to deliver that treatment," LaWall said.

Danny Soatikee, a member of the Gila River Indian Community, is
another recovering addict seeking treatment at Compass's New
Directions treatment facility, near Dodge Boulevard and Glenn Street.
The 42-year-old sold his house in Casa Grande and drove to Tucson to
enroll in a treatment program. The tribe is building a facility, but
Soatikee said the options are limited until then.

"My whole life was centered on getting high," he said. "I remember
hitting the pipe, tears coming out of my eyes, telling myself that
this is not good and not being able to stop."

Cynthia Klein, director of community relations for Compass, said
funding will be one of the biggest challenges that Napolitano's plan will face.

"If we can pay for it, if there was unlimited funding, we could
really make great strides in treating all sorts of addictions," she
said. "We need a lot of funding. So many people don't have the
resources to pay for the treatment."

Meth-related admissions to Arizona hospitals tripled from 2000 to
2005, according to the task force.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, methamphetamine was responsible for 10.5 percent of
the admissions to treatment facilities statewide in 2005, compared to
alcohol at 10 percent.

"Methamphetamine has destroyed my whole life, and the sick part is
that I still like it," Soatikee said. "I don't trust myself, my own
thinking, and that's a good thing because I need to surround myself
with recovery.

"I have a healthy fear now of losing what I have. I was pretty sick,
and I don't want to go back to that. I have choices in my life now."