S.L. CITY NO. 3 IN METH-ABUSING ARRESTEES

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Utah's capital city ranks third in the U.S. for arrestees using
methamphetamine, according to a new report from the Department of Justice.

Salt Lake comes behind San Diego and Sacramento for the number of
arrested meth users, with arrested women in Salt Lake County more
likely to be using the drug than arrested men.

The report from the department's National Institute of Justice is part
of the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program.

The data in the report released Thursday was collected from 920 men
and 179 women arrested in Salt Lake County in 1999. More than
one-third -- 35 percent -- of the women tested positive for meth, as
did 25 percent of the men.

Marijuana was the drug of choice for men, with 35 percent testing
positive. Cocaine was the second most common drug used by women in the
study.

The Salt Lake County sheriff and state Division of Substance Abuse
plan to use the report to set up treatment programs at area jails and
prisons, said division employee Angela Smart.