LOCAL METH FIGHT NOT OVER

Some recent local news stories are reminders that drug use remains a
problem simmering under the placid surface of life in Utah Valley.

* A Provo man was accused of having methamphetamine and marijuana at
a day care facility, according to court records. At the Provo home,
police found several bags believed to contain meth, a glass pipe used
to ingest it and water bongs used to smoke marijuana. The suspect
reportedly told officers he had smoked meth in the home when
children could have been around.

* A Lehi woman was arrested for meth use after giving birth. She also
is being held on a child endangerment charge. Court documents said
that she told police she used meth three times during her pregnancy
and used marijuana once a month. Her two children are now in state
custody.

* Provo police reported struggling with a woman running around naked
outside in sub-freezing temperatures. She was yelling and knocking on
neighbors' windows, police say. The woman reportedly took items from
a neighbor's home and threw them off a balcony and bit a police
officer on the thigh, breaking the skin. Police said the woman was
under the influence of methamphetamine. She was booked into the
county jail on charges of child abuse, resisting arrest, assaulting a
peace officer and disorderly conduct. Her 6-year-old son, who was
home at the time, has been placed in the custody of the state.

The above incidents are not listed to judge the guilt of the people
accused, but as a reminder of how often drugs pop up on police
blotters, and how devastating drug use can be, not only to those
caught up in it, but to innocent bystanders, even children.

That's important because Utah has reached another crossroads in its
fight against drugs. For the last two years, the state has ramped up
efforts to fight meth addiction. New laws have it harder to get the
materials needed to make the drug.

In November and December, a $2 million "End Meth Now" publicity
campaign aired TV ads as part of a yearlong public awareness drive.
Its message of hope has been seen as more effective than older
tactics. A statewide task force also took aim at the problem.

And some progress has been seen. Meth use appears to have declined
since 2006. State officials say 600 new patients were admitted to
state substance abuse treatment centers since the campaign began last
year.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency: "For the past several years,
seizures of methamphetamine labs have declined substantially in Utah. In
2007, only 9 labs and/or dump sites were seized in the entire state. This
is the lowest number seized in recent memory and a far cry from the peak of
272 in FY 1999."

Now what? There has been speculation that the state budget crisis may
cut into anti-drug efforts. Gov. Jon Huntsman said last month that
the effort remains a top priority.

In any effort, however, there's always a danger not only of running
out of money, but energy and new ideas. If recent Utah Valley news is
any indication, the battle against meth is far from over.

State and local officials deserve congratulations for some apparent
successes. Now they need to keep up the pressure.