Group looks for solutions to meth abuse
Nora Maberry/ News Editor
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: News
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Mange spoke at the East Central Illinois Methamphetamine Summit, held in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union on Thursday.
Mange told Coles County Meth Awareness Coalition members that the combination of the Coles County Drug Court and the coalitions that have been put together in Coles County are impressive.
The Coles County Drug Court is a court-supervised, comprehensive drug addiction treatment program for non-violent offenders. The voluntary program requires regular court appearances, attendance at treatment sessions, and includes counseling and close supervision by a probation officer, drug testing and moral recognition therapy.
"If you add a drug court it doubles the effectiveness of your treatment," Mange said.
Illinois Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, also spoke at the summit, and said he agreed that drug courts are effective.
"Drug court really is the way to go," Rose said.
Rose said funding concerns could put the program in jeopardy.
"Drug court is uniformly paid for by local taxpayers," Rose said. "We're going into the new funding cycle, it will be incumbent upon all of us to renew the call for funding for local drug court."
Now, lawmakers are proposing drug schools instead of drug courts.
Drug school is a variant of drug court, but much less effective, Rose said. Those involved in drug school do not get intensive follow-up like they would through drug court.
"Without that daily oversight of their activity, I don't think we as community members should be comfortable with them in a community setting," Rose said.
Rose said Gov. Rod Blagojevich needs to release funding for drug court before June 30, or the money will disappear.
"I don't trust Rod Blagojevich as far as I could throw him to spend money," Rose said.
A law that was created in 2007, tracks purchases of targeted Methamphetamine precursors at multiple locations and is the reason that people purchasing medicine containing Pseudoephedrine are required to show IDs before purchasing medicine.
The lawmakers believe the decrease in Methamphetamine production can be attributed to the law.
"On one hand, they are very annoying," Mange said of the laws requiring people to show IDs before purchasing Pseudoephedrine. "And on one hand, they are very successful."
In 2005, the Illinois State Police busted around 970 Meth labs. In 2007, they busted less than 500, Mange said.
"There are probably still a lot of Meth labs," Mange said. "They're probably smaller and probably more out of the way."
Mange said the main way to fight Methamphetamine abuse is to prevent people from becoming involved with the drug.
"Once you're in it, it's very hard to get out," Mange said. "If we can just stop people from getting involved with this drug, it will make everyone's life easier."
Also, at the summit, Laura Kunard, associate director of the Institute for Public Safety Partnerships, told coalition members about the group's grant program that provides $250,000 to community groups in the fight against Methamphetamine.
The Institute for Public Safety Partnerships is a cooperative effort between community organizations, police agencies, educational institutions and other governmental agencies, Kunard said.
"The goal of the grant program is to provide much needed funding to communities, which are the front lines of the Meth epidemic," Kunard said.
Breaking down meth:
Meth is made from a combination of over-the-counter drugs and common household chemicals including acetone, over-the-counter cold and asthma medications and drain cleaners.
Meth labs emit a strong odor similar to cat urine, ether and ammonia. Labs often have windows covered or painted.
Nora Maberry can be reached at 581-7942 or nemaberry@eiu.edu.
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