BE PROACTIVE IN FIGHT AGAINST METHAMPHETAMINE

If you think methamphetamine is an abstraction that you don't have to worry
about, guess again.

The drug has ravaged many communities in Iowa, Missouri and other parts of
the rural Midwest. And there is a high degree of child abuse associated
with meth-using parents and caregivers and their children.

In addition, meth users are more severely addicted than users of alcohol or
other drugs -- and the treatment programs can include longer in-patient
stays that may or may not be covered by insurance.

Tuesday in La Crosse, Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager met
with police officers, attorneys, social workers and others for a one-day
meeting on the topic of meth enforcement.

It's worth paying attention to such meetings, and considering ways that the
police officers and others can more proactively fight meth use and addiction.

Cindy Giese, a special agent in charge of the Wisconsin Methamphetamine
Initiative, told those at Tuesday's meeting that meth wasn't regarded as a
big problem in 1999, when only eight labs were found in Wisconsin.

But in 2003, the number labs peaked at 112. Wisconsin is not in the same
boat as Iowa -- where 1,300 labs were found last year -- but there is no
reason for complacency. The labs themselves are dangerous and toxic. The
chemicals involved can explode, and the fumes can cause health problems for
anyone close to the lab -- including children.

One of the things that can be done is to restrict sales of products
containing the nasal decongestant pseudoephredine, a principal ingredient
in making meth.

Some retailers have voluntarily agreed to keep such products behind the
counter. That small restriction might not be a bad idea. At some point,
depending on how bad the problem gets, it might be necessary to have to
sign for such products.

For now, it's important to give police agencies the tools they need to work
together on meth enforcement. Appropriate drug treatment needs to be
provided -- and funded. And the rest of us need to be very much aware of
the effort and the tragic effects of the drug.