WISCONSIN NEEDS TO FIGHT METH

The use of methamphetamine in Wisconsin is a growing problem that is not
going to just go away. The number of cases in the Chippewa Valley soared
from nine in 2003 to 80 in 2004 and statewide jumped from 314 in 2003 to
545 last year.

"This is not like other drugs. Nobody's getting off this drug without
legitimate treatment," says Shawna Kovach, director of L.E. Phillips, a
treatment center in Chippewa Falls.

Wisconsin needs to take immediate action to prevent the use of meth from
escalating beyond control by taking multiple steps including:

# Mounting a broad-based, grassroots prevention campaign to inform both
adults and children about the dangers of meth use.

# Increasing treatment access by providing health insurance parity for
substance abuse treatment.

# Increasing the meth treatment capacity in the communities and
correctional facilities throughout the state.

# Developing a treatment program in the state for meth that is based on the
therapeutic community model that has been used in other parts of the nation
successfully. Therapeu-tic communities are highly structured residential
programs with lengths of stay ranging from six to 12 months or more. They
re-socialize people to a drug-free, crime-free lifestyle by using the
program's other residents, staff and the social context as active
components of treatment.

# Increasing the investment in law enforcement to stop meth dealers and
ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent to prevent the
endangerment of other people.

Meth has now become a major drug problem in rural America and is the
fastest-growing drug threat in the nation. The choices that Wisconsin makes
when dealing with this terrifying drug will affect our future for years to
come.

Sandra McAnany

Norwalk, Wis.