TASK FORCE: METH A COMMUNITY ISSUE

Fighting The Epidemic Requires Action By All, Members Say.

More than 200 people made a commitment Monday afternoon to join in a fight
against the area's methamphetamine epidemic.

The vow was in response to the rollout of the No Meth -- Not in My
Neighborhood task force at the Salem-Area Chamber of Commerce's monthly forum.

A North Salem High School teacher pledged to share with her colleagues the
information that she learned at the forum.

Debbie Comstock said she is sure that she and others have seen symptoms of
meth use among students but that they have not been educated on how to
identify it.

"We assume it's a small problem, but clearly it's not," Comstock said.

Members of the task force, including a former meth user, a judge and
business and community leaders, told the crowd of nearly 325 that the meth
problem isn't just a law enforcement issue. It's a communitywide problem
that requires everyone's action.

The commitments that people could make ranged from sharing what they
learned about the meth problem to keeping a log of nuisance drug houses in
their area. Those actions fall under the task force's objective of creating
a network of people who will work on drug prevention and public awareness
of the methamphetamine crisis.

Law enforcement agencies have been keeping track of that crisis.

In 2001, drug agents took down 27 labs in Marion County. Last year, the
number jumped to 51.

According to police, 95 percent of all property crimes are related to meth.

Marion County Circuit Judge Paul Lipscomb added another snapshot of the
drug's impact during his speech.

"Meth is in every corner of the courthouse," Lipscomb, also a member of the
task force, said. "The drug shows up in virtually all cases."

But it was Billie Reed, a Bridgeway recovery mentor and former meth user,
who brought several audience members and herself to tears.

She told stories about three people, including herself, who became addicted
to the drug. At 34 years old, Reed said she hit rock bottom and lost her
three children, then she started down the road to recovery.

"It's important for the community to become aware of the meth problem,"
Reed said.

She has been drug-free for more than nine years.

This can work with the help of the community, recovery programs, the church
and mentor programs, she said. Reed is a mentor at Bridgeway, a local drug
and alcohol treatment and recovery facility.

Portland resident Alan Levine, a mentor and former meth user, said
mentoring is what can make the difference between a successful program and
one that is ineffective.

"I left prison seven times and never made it past the bus stop sober. The
time I did make it, I had someone who took me by the hand," Levine said.
"It is almost a requirement that the mentor has had the same problem so
they can identify with the client. Everyone was trying to help me, but they
couldn't because they didn't understand the life I lived."

Anna Peterson and Dick Withnell, co-leaders of the task force, acknowledged
that people like Reed and Levine are important to the goal of the group.

At this point, No Meth -- Not in My Neighborhood has defined four goals:
alert the community with an awareness campaign, educate everyone about
meth, develop relationships with law enforcement and the community, and
work at affecting public policy to direct money toward law enforcement and
treatment.

"It's the community's responsibility to respond," Lipscomb said. "Stop
looking away from the problems -- we need everyone to help.