COMMUNITIES CRY OUT FOR METH HELP

Our position is: Federal government should adjust priorities on drug
enforcement to meet rising challenge of meth use.

Many rural Indiana counties are struggling to cope with overcrowding
in their jails, even though in some cases the overall population of
the region is declining. In several counties, especially in
southwestern Indiana, the number of children entering foster care has
surged, further straining a child protection system that already
functions poorly. In Terre Haute, the city has aggressively condemned
and demolished vacant homes to prevent fires, explosions and the
threat of toxic leaks.

What's going on? A rising wave of methamphetamine use that, according
to a new survey of 500 sheriffs, is the nation's most challenging
drug problem. Indiana is one of 17 states reporting that meth arrests
have more than doubled in the past five years.

In a National Association of Counties survey released this week,
about 90 percent of the sheriffs polled reported increases in meth
arrests. More than half said it's the biggest problem they must confront.

Sheriff Jon Marvel, for example, told the Associated Press that 80
percent of the inmates in the Vigo County Jail are there on
meth-related charges. One consequence is a dramatic increase in the
cost of operating local police agencies, jails and courts.

The Indiana General Assembly responded this year by approving
restrictions on the sale of some over-the-counter medications. The
Department of Correction also is setting up a meth treatment program
for its inmates.

Unfortunately, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
doesn't seem to be listening to state and local leaders' concerns.
The White House continues to insist that marijuana use is the more
pressing problem. While in raw numbers of users that may be true, the
social and health consequences of using meth far outstrip those
associated with smoking marijuana.

Rep. Mark Souder puts it well. "It ain't just Kansas anymore," the
Indiana congressman said. "The whole country is screaming. The entire
nation is yelling. At what time does Washington respond?"

Congress and the White House need to respond by shifting the
priorities of federal agencies involved in drug enforcement. Too many
communities in the heartland are hurting to ignore their cries.