Meth on tribal lands

Part One: Pilot training program breaks ground

By Maggie Plummer

POLSON - Methamphetamine is the fastest-growing drug threat in tribal communities across the country.

That's the word from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Justice that recently put on a two-day "Methamphetamine on Tribal Lands" pilot training program at KwaTaqNuk Resort.

About 150 people attended, gathering at the resort from six of the state's seven reservations.

The "Methamphetamine on Tribal Lands" program was designed for tribal law enforcement and other criminal justice personnel, selected social service personnel, first responders, hazardous materials professionals, and community leaders.

The training was presented in a general session for all registrants on the first day and in a specialized track for law enforcement personnel only on the second. The Montana State University Extension Service presented a separate HAZMAT track for non-law enforcement participants on day two of the training session.

The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) was the contractor for this first-ever BJA tribal training.

Many attendees felt that the training was a great way to get the big picture, helping put the local meth problem in a much larger context.

Around the world, meth is not going away. In fact, according to the BJA trainers, the drug problem is getting worse. For example, in Thailand they now have candy-coated meth pills that are attractive to children. It's called "Yaba" or "crazy medicine," the trainers said.

Here, the drug is sometimes called redneck cocaine, or poor man's cocaine.

According to the Indian Health Service, three of every 10 Native American young people have tried methamphetamine.

Montana ranks in the top quarter of all states for methamphetamine/amphetamine abuse, ranking 11th of 50 states per 100,000 population, BJA data states.

The BJA trainers added that meth use among young people in Montana is higher than the national average: 8.3 percent compared to 7.6 percent nationwide.

For youths aged 12 to 17, rates of past year meth use were among the highest in South Dakota (2.3 percent), Montana (2.2 percent), North Dakota (1.6 percent) and Wyoming (1.6 percent).

A 2006 United Nations World Drug Report states that meth is the most abused hard drug on earth.

The world's 26 million meth addicts equal the combined numbers for heroin and cocaine users. Globally, the highest concentration of meth addicts is found in the Far East and Southeast Asia.

The U. S. alone has 1.4 million users, and that number is on the rise.

In fact, today (Nov. 30) is National Methamphetamine Awareness Day, sponsored by the U. S. Department of Justice. The objective of the special day is to educate as many people as possible about the dangers of methamphetamine.

Those dangers are considerable, from potentially explosive meth-related trash to often violent meth users.

The drug is a very serious concern not only for law enforcement (due to increases in family violence, crime and calls for service, driving under the influence, and drug lab hazards) but also for the health care profession, which is experiencing an increase in emergency room admissions and rising costs associated with meth babies.

Other huge concerns are major environmental issues associated with the manufacture of meth: disposal of toxic waste and the health risks taken by meth lab investigators.

For every pound of meth produced, roughly six pounds of waste is created. Such waste is sometimes left in agricultural fields or rivers, leaking into soil and groundwater.

At the Polson training, participants heard an overview of the meth problem, listened to a history of the drug, learned how to recognize signs and symptoms of meth abuse, were taught general protocol for dealing with drug endangered children, and considered community approaches to addressing the meth problem.

Such training is considered important for people from many professions, since families in crisis are often seen first by housing personnel, community health representatives, first responders, and social workers.