ROUND ONE AGAINST METH

Summit In Fresno Produces Useful Commitments.

The long-awaited meth summit held in Fresno on Tuesday was an unprecedented
gathering of powerful elected officials, and that's part of the good news.
But the most important thing about the summit may end up being the simple
fact that it was held.

Cynical observers might suggest that the event was little more than
ceremony; that would be unfair, but even if true, such ceremonial occasion
can be very important over the long run -- which is what the Valley's and
the nation's fight against methamphetamine production and distribution is
going to be.

The summit was organized by Rep. Cal Dooley, who was joined by both of
California's senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. California Lt.
Gov. Cruz Bustamante led one session, and several of Dooley's congressional
colleagues were there: George Radanovich, Gary Condit and Sacramento-area
Rep. Doug Ose. State legislators showed up as well: Sens. Chuck Poochigian
and Jim Costa, and Assembly members Sarah Reyes, Dean Florez and Mike Briggs.

In addition, state and local officials, from law enforcement, schools,
social services and health care agencies were on hand.

The goal of the summit was to suggest solutions. As Dooley said in the days
leading up to the summit, and reiterated on Tuesday, we have a good idea
what the problem is, especially after the publication in October of "A
Madness Called Meth," the special report produced by the Fresno, Modesto
and Sacramento Bee newspapers. Now it is time to focus on figuring out ways
to handle all the awful things this drug can do to people's lives, the
drain it puts on public treasuries, and the fearful harm it can do to the
water and the soil that sustain us.

The speakers at the summit sometimes strayed from that path, but there was
enough meat to fill several institutional plates for some time to come. The
greatest need, not surprisingly, is for funding. We need more of everything
in the struggle against the damage meth does in our communities: more law
enforcement, more research on cleaning up the mess left behind at sites
used by meth "cookers," and a better understanding of how to pull people
out of the clutches of the drug. But it will be money well-spent, if we can
reduce the even more costly ravages of methamphetamine.

We especially need more and better ways to meet the needs of the children
whose lives are blighted by meth, either at the hands of abusive deceits in
their families, or direct physical harm done by the toxic chemicals used to
make the drug.

None of that will be easy, but Tuesday's summit was an important first
step. The array of agencies and groups represented was encouraging; there
is now a personal commitment to the effort on the part of our elected
leaders, and an institutional commitment spanning both public and private
sector agencies that perhaps didn't exist before, at least not in this
public and vivid way. That's important. The problem of meth touches just
about every part of our society, and it will take such a commitment from
every part to overcome it.

And, as in any struggle, leadership counts. It was good to see it put on
display here on Tuesday.