METH ABUSE BY WOMEN ON THE RISE

The annual report by the state Division of Substance Abuse asserts
that more than 100,000 Utah residents, about a fifth of them under 18,
are addicted to alcohol or drugs.

It said methamphetamine use among young women is a particularly
serious problem worsened by the fact that nearly 70 percent of the
women admitted for treatment of meth addiction have dependent children
and are in their prime childbearing years.

Use of "club drugs" such as Ecstasy is also increasing and raising the
concern of agency officials who monitor abuse throughout the state.

"Club drugs are often presented as harmless, and we are working to
dispel that misconception," said Pat Fleming, division director,
adding that efforts to discourage the use of alcohol, tobacco and
other substances subject to addiction will continue.

Methamphetamine is cheap, easy to make and is a main contributor to
Utah's crime problem, said the report.

Reasons young women use the drug are widely varied, but many say they
began using it to give them an energy boost in dealing with the
pressure of family and daily life.

It also helps in weight loss.

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, more than 2,400 women were
treated in Utah for addiction to methamphetamine. They are 10 to 15
years younger than people in other treatment programs and represent
well over a third of the women who were receiving drug addiction treatment.

There were 12,383 men admitted into treatment in 1991 compared to
13,889 in 2001. The report said 2,679 women were admitted in 1991 and
6,580 in 2001.

The report said 42.4 percent of those in treatment were there for
alcohol abuse.

Treatment programs in Utah discharged nearly 18,000 patients in 2001.
Fewer than half successfully completed treatment.