GROUP TO MONITOR SPREAD OF METH

CRANSTON -- A group of health officials and law enforcement
representatives came together yesterday to raise awareness of a drug
plague that they say has so far spared much of New England but will
come.

The spread of methamphetamine use and addiction has ravaged other
parts of the country, said U.S. Attorney Robert Corrente. In Hawaii,
for instance, methamphetamine addiction has surpassed alcohol abuse,
he said. We want "to get out in front of the problem and be prepared
when the problem is here," Corrente said.

To do so, Corrente and others announced the formation of a coalition
of experts to monitor and hopefully prevent the drug's spread. The
announcement coincided with similar announcements being made across
the country as part of National Methamphetamine Awareness Day.

Dr. Ellen Nelson, director of the state Department of Mental Health
Retardation and Hospitals, said methamphetamine "is a very potent
substance that here at the department of MHRH we are concerned about."

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant, she said, that can
devastate the central nervous system. It comes in several forms,
including powder, crystal, rocks and tablets. When the drug is
"cooked" into crystals, it is called crystal meth.

Long-term meth users often experience anxiety, sleeplessness,
confusion, violent rages and cravings for more of the drug. It can
also produce a condition known as "meth mouth," a serious
deterioration of teeth and gums.

The Drug Enforcement Agency reported that in 2005 about 20
methamphetamine labs were discovered in New England. In contrast,
there were 2,176 such discoveries in Missouri last year, the DEA reported.

The only significant methamphetamine case to emerge in Rhode Island in
the last year involved two Rhode Island men who were charged last
month for allegedly running a meth lab in Coventry.

Corrente said the local prevalence of cheap heroin and cocaine is
perhaps the reason New England has yet to see widespread abuse of
methamphetamines.

"Even though we are among the last states to witness the ravages of
methamphetamine addiction," said Corrente, "we would be foolish to
believe that the spread of methamphetamine will stop at our borders."

The first way to attack the problem, he said, was by raising awareness
of the problem. Women looking to lose weight and college students
determine to stay awake to study, could easily become addicted to
methamphetamine use if they tried it as an alternative to "speed" drugs.

The coalition will include members of the U.S. Attorney's office, the
Drug Enforcement Administration, the governor's office, the state
attorney general's office, the MHRH, the departments of health and
education, and substance abuse treatment agencies such as CODAC.

Corrente said members of the coalition will, for now, meet once every
few months to discuss ways to educate people about the dangers of the
drug.

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch also announced, in recognition of
the national awareness day, that he would, for a second year, submit
legislation to toughen penalties for the manufacture and possession of
methamphetamine.