READERS WEIGH IN ON HOW TO SOLVE AREA'S METH WOES

Editors note: Last week, The Daily News published stories where experts on
the front lines were asked what they would do, given an unlimited budget,
to solve the area's methamphetamine problem. We also invited readers to
share their thoughts.

What follows are edited versions of the reader responses we received. Some
were cut down in length, others were edited for taste or to protect another
person's privacy. This is the second, and final, batch of responses.

We have a serious drug problem in this county and this meth addiction is
most terrifying.

Suggestions:

Self-esteem and character building needs to be emphasized in fifth grade.
Administration/educators need to "jump" on the bullies. Continue these
efforts throughout HS.

Enforce curfews -- we see many young children running around town at an age
when they should be in bed. Fine parents to get their attention and
parenting classes would be helpful.

Enforce school attendance with serious consequences for those not in
compliance. No driver's license for students with poor attendance.

Administrators and teachers need to accept the fact that every school has a
problem with drugs. Get trained, get tough and take a stand.

If teachers suspect students as being "high" then they should be sent to
the office. Together the assistant principal and I used to do tests
frequently. If a student was "under the influence" we called parents and
the police (we were trained in testing by the local police department).
This system worked swell for all parties.

Random use of drug-sniffing dogs.

Publish records of judges (towards election time) so we know who is soft on
consequences.

We need more "undercover" officers in the school.

Manageable case loads for social workers and probation officers.

Dorothy Thruston, retired High School teacher/counselor

Silver Lake
-----------------
Stop Wasting Funds

In my view, to develop more programs to fight meth is a waste of time and
money. Education hasn't worked, drug/alcohol treatment hasn't worked and
never will. The law is too soft on the users, sellers and makers of drugs.

The police pick them up, and less than 24 hours later they're back on the
streets.

Any person having illegal drugs on them, sellers or making drugs should do
serious jail time, first offense or not (no bail). No jail space, you say?
Tent city is the answer.

In tent city, they would get sack breakfast and lunch. Evening meal would
be TV dinners that the jail cooks make up. These people would be allowed
Bibles, books, cards and staff-controlled computer use toward education
only. Use of the phone once a week and their exercise would be road clean
up and other city and county projects.

Tent city is working in other states. Why not Cowlitz County?We must stop
using tax dollars on something useless.

Pat Alderman

Woodland
-----------------
Modify Our Behavior

Kudos to Glenys Hill for her understanding of the problem and thumbs down
to Bill Weiss for believing that if enough people were taxed into poverty
the meth problem would be solved.

The real causes to the meth problems are: The despondency created by
inescapable poverty; The TV ads pushing pharmaceuticals to overcome every
known malady; Corrupt corporate and government leaders as role models; The
win at any price mentality that permeates sports, business and politics; A
widespread "bend the rules" attitude (taxes and speed limits are good
examples) and the tremendous profit to be made by manufacturing and selling
meth.

Busting the users and dealers will only create a need for more police,
jails and social workers. The problem will still continue to grow. We
already have a lager percentage of citizenry incarcerated or on probation
than any other industrialized nation in the world and a large percentage of
those incarcerated continue to break the laws.

This problem has been developing over the last two generations and will
require at least two generations to eradicate.

Business schools must focus more on ethics and less on technically defining
what is "legal". Our elected representatives need to cloak themselves in
integrity and moral determination. When we vote, we must start considering
what is best for the greater community and not be focused on only what
benefits our own financial situation.

When the dream of a better life dies, resentment, jealousy and total
disrespect for the rules of society fill the void.

Dan Myers

Kelso
-----------------
Zero Tolerance Is Answer

I was very disappointed to learn that Kelso School Superintendent Glenys
Hill is so quick to give failure and substance abuse a built-in excuse. If
the article reflects her true thoughts and words, I would give her a
failing grade on her analysis of the cause of our local drug epidemic.

Hill's solution to the drug problem would be for everyone to have a good
job with good benefits so they could feel good about themselves. While this
might be helpful, the superintendent deftly jumps over some of the
requisites that must be satisfied to reach her utopia.

It is much more likely that substance abuse will result in not attaining a
good job, or any job at all, rather than low income leading to drug abuse.
The state of our local economy cannot be used as an excuse for being stupid
and doing stupid things.

Education has to be near the top of the list in dissuading young people
from using drugs, but schools can only do so much. It is the nature of too
many people, especially kids, to learn bad behavior from the worst examples
instead of emulating those who excel.

The underlying problem that leads to drug abuse is not the lack of good
jobs. It is our deteriorating social mores and the presence of illicit
drugs, drug pushers and drug users. The only way to put a damper on it is
to get very serious about cracking down on all four-- zero tolerance.

Steve Holden

Kelso
-----------------
Detective Tate Hit The Mark

After reading the Wednesday article featuring Kelso School District
Superintendent Glenys Hill, I felt somewhat dismayed that this woman was
sought out by your paper for her opinions on a drug that she has no
information on.

Hill characterized meth users as "numbing themselves." That statement
alone, makes it plainly apparent that she doesn't not know what meth does
to you physically.

I did meth on three occasions almost two years ago, and I can tell you that
meth does everything but numb you. It makes you extraordinarily
hypersensitive to everything. For those of you who have never done this
drug, I want to tell you that the reason it is done isn't because of
socio-economics. I have known many people who have done meth, and some of
them are successful financially. Some of them are full-time students who
have full-time jobs. Yes, a few of them are jobless or homeless.

Detective Sgt. Tate seems to have the right idea. In the article that
appeared on Tuesday, Tate offers a viable solution. An increased police
presence as well as larger task force would discourage most new users.

To really understand why people are addicted to meth, you need to
understand what meth does to your body. It speeds everything up. Meth makes
you feel like you have never been awake before, and have missed everything
in life. Physically, you can't stop moving. Which is why you can't sleep.
You can't be still long enough to fall asleep.

Once you start "coming down" your whole body hurts. It feels like you will
never again feel normal. For me, that pain was enough to keep me from
getting addicted. But that pain is also why a lot of people stay high.

Again, I am behind Tate. Put some money toward the Task Force and treatment
programs that have a good success rate. Also, even though I know and am
friends with some of the owners of businesses that sell "tobacco
paraphernalia or functional glass art," I agree with Tate. If the
paraphernalia wasn't as readily available, it would slow down some use.

Chris Cassi

Longview
------------------
Take Sudafed Off The Market

I would take sudafed (psuedoephedrine HCl) off the market completely.

By limiting the amount of tablets bought per person from a pharmacist (as
is being done now), it just inconveniences the meth makers a bit by having
to go to another pharmacy or two to get their ingredients. Even if they
tighten up the restrictions and make a computer registry of who buys it,
there will be ways around it.

Sudafed is not necessary. There are other decongestants on the market for
allergy sufferers to buy.

I agree with those saying the main issue is to figure out why people turn
to drugs -- we need to deal with that. But even if we did have unlimited
money for counseling and treatment, unfortunately that solution will
probably take generations.

If they want something for kicks, I think a lot of people will try what's
readily available. Why do we keep handing out Sudafed when we know the
damage it's doing?

Kristie Kandoll

Winlock
-----------------
After-School Programs

Meth is like a cancer eating away at the very core of our community. It
destroys the most innocent: our children.

These children live with constant chaos, threats, hunger, anger and the
most unstable life that anyone can imagine. Then we expect them to get
themselves to school and be able to learn. Where can we start to help them
stop this horrific cycle? By showing them that there is a way out, there
are people who care, are safe for them and giving them glances of normalcy.

We need to show these children that life is full of good fun, safe choices,
happiness and that there is a way to stop the insanity. The after-hour
school programs provide them with a safe place to be after their school day
is over. They can stay, get a snack, do their homework. learn sport skills
that will give them a chance to compete with their peers and learn the
benefits of sports. They can have other experiences to show them that there
is a big world out there and they have the tools and the power to change
their world and stop the destruction that meth starts.

We need to make sure that the after-hour programs are able to continue to
be funded so that we can continue to provide glances of hope to the ones
who have lost that vision.

Diane Wheatley

Kelso

Wallace Elementary School employee and Wallace 21st Century Learning Center
employee