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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend May 7, 2006 By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Community awareness of methamphetamine and demand for treatment has heightened in the wake of last year's Jackson County Meth Summit, experts agree. "I do think that more people are understanding that methamphetamine is a problem," said Carin Niebuhr, coordinator of the Jackson County Meth Task Force. Elected officials, business leaders, drug-treatment providers, child-welfare workers, police, students and others made a pact at last year's summit to combat the county's meth epidemic. The effort — applauded by federal officials this year — came on the heels of Gov. Ted Kulongoski's call for a statewide assault on meth, the illegal drug blamed for overburdening Oregon's public resources. Since then, task force members and media have championed the cause on a broader scale, Niebuhr said. "I think there's been a huge increase in information," she said. The wealth of knowledge also spurred a larger community dialogue, said Kim Oveson, deputy director of Addictions Recovery Center in Medford. "It's like it's given people permission to talk about what's been happening for years," Oveson said. Oveson and others said they have been surprised to hear many local residents speaking frankly about how meth has touched their families. More families also seem to be ushering their loved ones into treatment. "It's a drug that's hard to hide," said Rita Sullivan, executive director of OnTrack Inc., the county's largest treatment provider. "You see the effects of this drug almost immediately," she said, adding that more parents are educated about the signs and symptoms of addiction. Particularly where children are concerned, more families and friends are reporting parents' suspected meth use early on instead of waiting until it spirals out of control, Niebuhr said. "People are just getting into the system earlier," she said. Oregon Department of Human Services reported an increase in addicts entering treatment for meth use over the past two years, Niebuhr said. Locally, OnTrack serves about 3,500 to 4,000 clients a year, Sullivan said. More than 1,000 addicts signed up with OnTrack's outpatient programs last year. At ARC, 142 people completed inpatient treatment between June 1, 2005, and April 26. The non-profit organization has since started intensive case management to give their clients more support and services. It's an approach that's vital if treatment providers hope to make a difference, said Hank Collins, director of Jackson County Health and Human Services. "We need to reach out to users," Collins said, adding that social service workers need to go one step further: contacting addicts in their home environment and persuading them that there's a better way of life. "It won't be easy," Collins said. "But we'll make it as easy as we can." Born out of last year's Jackson County Methamphetamine Summit, the Mail Tribune's weekly Meth Watch feature debuted April 26, 2005, targeting suspects wanted for manufacturing or delivering methamphetamine. To better demonstrate the effects of meth in the community, the newspaper also began to compile weekly statistics relating to the illegal drug. Here's the past year at a glance: Arrests — 564 people were arrested on meth-related charges, ranging from possession to delivery within 1,000 feet of a school. More than 47 percent of those arrested also faced other criminal charges. Court appearances — An additional 226 people were cited to appear in Jackson County Circuit Court on meth-related charges. Nearly 27 percent of those defendants also faced other criminal charges. Child welfare — The local child welfare office of the state's Department of Human Services removed 304 children from 193 homes and placed them into protective custody because of meth use in the family. The placements represented about 55 percent of new child welfare cases. Addiction recovery — 1,060 people entered outpatient treatment for meth addiction at OnTrack Inc., the county's largest substance-abuse treatment provider. At Addictions Recovery Center, 142 people completed inpatient treatment between June 1, 2005, and April 26. Those admitted to ARC's sobering center while under the influence of meth numbered 118 between June 14, 2005, and April 26. Meth Watch arrests — Of 55 Meth Watch profiles last year, eight total arrests were made with a direct connection to the weekly feature. Four of those are credited to readers of the Mail Tribune, four to viewers of KTVL Channel 10. Two suspects turned themselves in. Two were arrested with no Meth Watch connection. Sonitrol of Southern Oregon paid $900 in rewards. 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