METH USE NOT SLOWING

While other states are seeing a decline in methamphetamine use, local
officials say that isn't the case here.

By Cameron Mathews

CHEYENNE - The noose methamphetamine has tied around Wyoming hasn't
loosened its chokehold over the last several months.

While meth use in Montana has plummeted, local drug experts are
wishing they could report the same thing.

"The problem is about the same as it has been the last few months,"
said Police Sgt. Terrance Bell. "Meth use is always at the top of our
list."

Montana officials say the recent use of anti-meth advertising, like
graphic television, radio and billboard ads, has helped to curb the
level of meth use there.

Members of the Cheyenne Meth Initiative have recently been working to
come up with their own strategies to keep the psychostimulant out.

Kurt Zunker, vice president of the initiative, said the biggest
problem he is seeing at city, county and state levels is the lack of
any real data to determine if use is up or down here.

"We can't put our thumb on it," he said. "We are lacking the ability
to make any definitive statements whether meth use has decreased or
leveled off."

From Zunker's day-to-day experiences here, he says the level of drug
use hasn't faltered.

"We haven't had the kind of big drug busts or arrests since last
year," he said. "But, that doesn't mean that use here has decreased."

Public education is the first step, according to the Cheyenne-Laramie
County Methamphetamine Assessment Project done in February.

The public education system has a critical role when it comes to
prevention as well as treatment of youth substance abuse, the report
shows.

Allison Minugh with Datacorp echoed Zunker's comments, saying there
is a lack of data regarding methamphetamine use. And any data the
city, county or state has right now isn't coordinated.

Efforts are in motion by the meth initiative to turn that trend
around.

Methamphetamine has started to affect people in school,
neighborhoods, the workforce and the rest of the community.

It's a drug that affects everyone in at least one way or
another.

Some factual findings from the report show the following:

- - Substance abuse is a serious factor with approximately 65 to 75
percent of the juveniles on probation in Laramie County.

- - The district attorney estimated that 80 percent of all criminal
cases filed in circuit and district court involve drug offenses.

- - There's been a 192 percent increase since 2003 in treatment
admissions for meth use.

Easy access, low cost, peer pressure and boredom factors attached to
the drug are keeping the problem a consistent top priority.

Lisa Scholz, the recently hired Cheyenne-Laramie County meth
coordinator, said when looking at populations of people ages 18 to 25
years old, Wyoming has the second highest use rate in the country.

The driving factors now are education in schools, intervention, and
better treatment and transitional living after addicts have
re-entered the system, Scholz said.

"This is a community effort for sure," she said. "Social services,
the court system, community citizens and law enforcement have to get
involved. We all must have heightened awareness. Knowledge is power."