METH MAKING ITSELF AT HOME IN OUR AREA

Our View

Awareness a vital tool in battling drug that has social, financial impacts

The message from local officials is clear: Methamphetamine use is touching
all of us one way or another.

The insidious drug is far too accessible and far too tempting, yet
communities such as Fort Collins sometimes don't make the connection of the
ravaging impacts methamphetamine can have.

Methamphetamine is powerful enough to lure youngsters and adults. Those
captured by its allure face unprecedented paranoia, which can drive them to
crime, abuse and even murder -- all in the name of meth.

Just ask 15-year-old Miles Bryant, who wrote poignantly Saturday in a Youth
Views opinion piece just how deceptive and alluring the drug can be. He read
the poem that described the dangers of the drug for young people during his
sentencing hearing for meth-related charges.

Or consider that arrests involving the drug are up 102 percent since 1999.
Fraud, forgery and property crimes have risen significantly because those
using the drug will do just about anything to feed their habit, including
stealing, lying and cheating.

The fiscal cost for taxpayers is increasing rapidly, because of the need for
additional law enforcement, court time and expense of social services. The
social and emotional costs are difficult to quantify, but not difficult to
see. Perhaps the most heart-wrenching is that this is a drug that is
correctly blamed for a marked hike in child abuse and child neglect. Only
since March, the Larimer County Department of Human Services has received
referrals for 358 victims impacted by meth use and 343 meth users, including
adults and children. A jarring 75 percent of the victims involve child
neglect, and 20 percent are linked to physical abuse of children.

Tools to fight this deceptive drug are difficult to come by. Law
enforcement, the court system, social service and nonprofits likely will
need additional funds. But the most potent tool against methamphetamine is
awareness. Parents who educate themselves about the drug can intervene with
their children early. Residents who recognize signs of meth use should
report their concerns to law officers or social services. And those who come
into contact with children regularly should apply their insights into
ensuring that the youngest victims are protected.