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| News Release | ||
| News | 2006 | ||
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08/14/06
Media Advisory:
NEWS CONFERENCE 12:30 P.M., tUESDAY, AUGUST 15
Local leaders rally behind plan to abate methamphetamine proliferation in Lane County
Contact: Karen Gaffney, Health and Human Services, 682.3942
What: Tuesday, August 15, the Board of Commissioners will take up discussion on a proposed Meth Comprehensive Plan to address the proliferation of methamphetamine. Local leaders will convene at 12:30 p.m. after the presentation to provide comment and take questions.
Who:
Commissioner Faye Stewart
City of Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy
Lane County Sheriff Russ Burger
Executive Director Craig Opperman, Looking Glass
Judge Darryl Larson, Member of Governor’s Meth Task Force, Past chair of Governor’s Advisory Board of Drugs and Crime
When:
12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15
Where:
Harris Hall, 125 E. Eighth Ave Harris Hall, Eugene, Oregon
BACKGROUND
Nearly 20 years ago, Lane County was identified as one of the top methamphetamine producing regions in the nation. Meth use and manufacturing have increased steadily, leading to a number of community issues including increased crime, abuse and neglect. Meth crimes have been found to exact a disproportionate toll on the public safety system and citizens
Beginning in February 2005, Lane County departments including Children and Families, District Attorney, Health & Human Services, Public Works, Sheriff’s Office and Youth Services met to create a comprehensive strategy for battling meth locally. After assessing what County departments were already doing individually, participants identified gaps and what actions are needed to strengthen the current system in order to effectively reduce or eliminate meth use and abuse in Lane County. The outcomes of the City County Public Safety Task Force in late 2005, the Board of Commissioners’ focus on developing local funding mechanisms to stabilize public safety, and work by other community partners has served as a catalyst for completing the plan. Lane County’s Public Safety Coordinating Council has identified meth abuse as a priority, unanimously adopting the Comprehensive Plan to abate meth in May 2006.
The final plan focuses on public awareness, prevention, treatment and supervision, law enforcement, courts and management of the drugs unique consequences.
Plan Action Steps
County departments determined priority action steps based on areas of focus. These focus areas are based on federal and state strategies that identify the critical balance required to impact the complex issues surrounding methamphetamine. Action steps that will be implemented as funding becomes available include:
Enlisting and engaging other agencies and nonprofits in the public awareness effort
Increasing funding to prevention groups such as the Family Resource Center Network and Crisis Nurseries
Increasing treatment and supervision funding to provide additional services for meth addicts
Providing more resources to enforce laws and hold drug producers, dealers, users and property criminals accountable for their actions
Increasing ability of Adult Drug Court to intervene in the lives of addicted offenders and restore six Peer Courts
Working with local city councils to expand public nuisance ordinances beyond unincorporated Lane County and adopt policies to record meth labs in order to disclose information to new tenants/owners
Monitoring the program’s effectiveness and emerging trends related to meth
Partnering with school/community groups to reduce risk factors among youth
How is methamphetamine use and manufacture making a difference in Lane County?
Meth is the illegal drug of choice among users in Lane County.
The District Attorney’s Office receives more than 2,500 new felony drug cases each year, approximately 90 percent of which are meth cases.
In 2003, 520 Lane County residents entering treatment for meth had one or more dependants.
In 2004, 449 children were removed for abuse or neglect and 74 percent involved parental drug abuse. Lane County’s rate is higher than the statewide average.
In 2004, more than 2,000 adults and 160 youth entered treatment for meth abuse.
Due to cuts in funding resulting in a loss of treatment beds/slots, there were more than 200 people waiting for outpatient treatment and more than 100 waiting for residential treatment as of December 2005.
For more information about meth plan see http://www.lanecounty.org/BCC_Info/Meeting_Info/2006/Order%20Text/8-15/T8b.pdf
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