METH USE DOUBLES, TASK FORCE REPORTS

The number of people in Colorado using methamphetamine more than
doubled from 2000 to 2005, according to a report issued Tuesday by a
state task force.

Colorado also had a higher percentage of people over 12 who used
methamphetamine between 2002 and 2005 than the national average,
according to the State Methamphetamine Task Force. The task force was
created last year by lawmakers to tackle the production and
addiction of the illegal drug.

The task force said the U.S. Sentencing Committee Report found that
28 percent of convicted drug offenders in Colorado used
methamphetamine as their primary drug in 2003 compared to 17 percent
nationwide.

Among people 18 to 25, methamphetamine use in the state was about 2
percent higher than the national average, according to the report.

The 27-member task force, which is led by state Attorney General John
Suthers, issued its first report on the state's methamphetamine use
on Tuesday, although the report was not accompanied by hard data.
Kristen Holtzman, communications director for the attorney general,
said the data would be available today.

The report said that the percentage of meth users who sought
treatment for their addiction climbed from 8 percent in 2000 to 19
percent in 2005.

The report did highlight some good news. For one, the number of meth
labs in Colorado has fallen in the past three years, the task force
said. It credited the passage of stricter state laws that made it
difficult for the illegal drug's manufacturers to buy
over-the-counter medication, such as ephedra and pseudophed, the key
ingredients used to make meth.

The report also found:

The 2006 National Drug Assessment Report identified Denver as a major
meth distribution center because of its central location.

Treatment admissions for meth use in rural communities increased from
7 percent to 22 percent.

Meth use among females was proportionately the same as men.

Gay men used methamphetamine at higher rates than their heterosexual
counterparts, according to the Colorado Outcomes Study.

Children who are exposed to meth labs or users are at higher risks of
chemical contamination and extreme negative health results, which
include illness and death.

Meth users who are treated for their addiction comprise 19 percent of
total admissions at treatment centers.