VALLEY'S METH EPIDEMIC MUSTN'T BE FORGOTTEN

As the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks nears, there
naturally will be much debate and anxiety about our national security.
The war on terrorism and the war in Iraq have been Topic A for several
years.

These wars have obscured the focus on something that is wreaking much
more havoc right here in Stanislaus County -- the epidemic of
methamphetamine. Since last August, 70 people have died from meth
overdoses in our county, according to the coroner's office. And that
toll does not count the rampant crimes of addicts and the fallout on
families.

That's why there was some predictable frustration in the voices of law
enforcement executives who met Tuesday with Rep. Dennis Cardoza,
D-Merced, at a special meeting on meth.

Officers believe they've reduced the number of superlabs operating in
the county, but they haven't stemmed the amount of meth available. It
is being imported, primarily from Mexico, they told Cardoza. Meth
usage remains high and tied to many other types of crime, from auto
theft to homicide.

In 2000, the three Bees prepared a special report on "A Madness Called
Meth." It painted a grim picture of the pervasive impact of meth, from
neglected and endangered children exposed to the highly addictive drug
and to the dangerous chemicals used to make it, to the corrosive and
toxic residues left by the labs.

The image is still with us -- even if we have grown accustomed to it.
Modesto's auto-theft problem is better but still chronic. Identity
theft is a growing problem. And the telltale sign of meth addiction --
rotten or no teeth -- is apparent in many of the dazed people who roam
our streets and parks.

The fight against meth has to start with prevention. Meth is so
treacherously addictive that young people have to be persuaded never
to try it. From that point, users have to know there are consequences
associated with its use; that's why it's important to put some teeth
in Proposition 36, to make sure offenders follow through on treatment
programs, not just duck out of punishment.

The valley is fortunate that Cardoza is among the politicians who
"gets" this issue. He understands the pervasive impact of meth. It's
personal for him; his two adopted children were taken from their
biological family because meth was being used.

Other lawmakers, at the state and federal levels, need to hear from
law enforcement agencies but also from constituents about their
concerns regarding meth.

No one would suggest that national security is unimportant. But the
meth epidemic presents a more clear and present danger to everyday
life in the valley. Both have to be top priorities.