Seminar tackles meth problem

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Scott Welton

SIKESTON - There could be a meth lab in your neighborhood. You may even know someone who uses methamphetamine. Being able to see the signs, however, requires education.

A meth workshop scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Thursday in the Clinton Building at the Sikeston Sports Complex will use the "workshop approach" to provide that education for interested members of the community.

The workshop goes along with Mission Missouri's ongoing awareness campaign, "Know better," according to Janie Pfefferkorn, its executive director. "'Just say no' is not enough - you must know better. What you don't know won't hurt you, it will kill you."

"We're encouraging everyone to attend, especially those who work with children," she added.

"Certainly parents, teachers and others dealing with young people need to know the dangers, the signs and symptoms of meth use. Plus they need to know the dangers these kinds of chemicals have for the community," said Alan Wilson, regional public information officer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "Meth has been the major drug over the last three to five years. Even though cocaine, marijuana and heroin are still prevalent, meth has become the most popular drug, so that has become one of our main goals to get that off the street as well."

Sponsored by Mission Missouri's SEMO Prevention program, the DEA, and Substance Abuse and the Mental Health Services Administration Center of Substance Abuse Prevention, there is no cost to participate in the workshop.

"SEMO Prevention is funded through one of 12 national grants from SAMHSA. It targets children ages 12-15 in the nine counties we serve. It specifically pulls together a junior advisory council made up of that age group who will create and drive a media campaign to raise awareness about meth and inhalants," Pfefferkorn said.

Also the funding will provide a summer camp experience for 100 youth in the summer of 2005 and provide a life-skills curriculum about all types of drugs including meth and inhalants. This curriculum will be replicated in at least 30 churches throughout the nine counties, she said, "so that when the grant itself is over in three years, the information and the education will continue within the faith community."

Shirley Armstead, demand reduction coordinator for the DEA office in St. Louis, will make a presentation for the DEA during the workshop.

"That's one of Shirley's jobs," Wilson said. "She goes around and talks to groups, talks to kids, talks to doctors about drugs in general." Armstead also sits on governor's committee on meth.

"Obviously, meth is a big problem in the Midwest and Missouri in particular," Wilson said. "Missouri has led the nation in the last few years in clandestine lab seizures, which is how meth is produced."

Missouri had more meth lab shutdowns than any other state last year with 2,860, but more keep popping up and authorities expect the number to be even higher this year.

"They do not produce a whole lot of finished product, but when we do come across them they take a lot of money to clean up," Wilson said.

He explained this is because "you've got a bunch of chemicals that you can't just throw down the drain. ... You have to call in a company that's equipped to dispose of these types of materials and it's expensive."

Soil contamination is often an issue around meth labs, Wilson said, "and sometimes you'll have a whole structure that can be contaminated." Sometimes the structure can be cleaned, but other times contamination is so severe the structure has to be town down, he said.

In addition to meth labs being dangerous, meth users themselves can pose dangers. "That person is not going to be as stable - you just don't know what they're going to do," Wilson said.

Another guest speaker at the workshop will be Daphne Walker-Thoth with the Missouri Institute of Mental Health of St. Louis. "She will talk about prevention," said Pfefferkorn, and Dr. Jim Topolski the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, will speak on "risk factors for the nine counties of Southeast Missouri."

While law enforcement officers in area communities work hard to combat the manufacture, distribution and use of methamphetamine, their efforts typically have been reactive, responding to known instances of intermittent or chronic abuse of the drug.

"We want people to know on the front end how terrible meth is so they never start," Pfefferkorn said. "If people know, they'll make better choices."

Preventing new users will take proactive measures by people in the community, however.

The workshop's sponsoring organizations said this fight to stop meth use before it begins must take place at the family and individual levels. Parents, grandparents, community leaders and citizens are urged to make every effort to make our children fully aware of the consequences of addiction as well as the dangers it brings to communities, officials said.

At the high school level the drug of choice is more likely to be marijuana, "but it's still something parents need to be aware of," Wilson said. "It's still a problem out there."

In addition to the guest speakers, the event will also feature informational exhibits from various organizations, refreshments and door prizes.