(Arnolds Park)– The increasing use and manufacturing of illegal drugs, especially methamphetamine, was the topic of a seminar Thursday evening at the Okoboji Middle School.
Dickinson County Sheriff Greg Baloun told the crowd the number of arrests in Dickinson county associated with just methampehtamine continues to rise. He says there were 27 meth-related arrests in the county in 2001; 31 in 2002 and 20 so far in 2003. Baloun says one of the key factors in the methamphetamine problem is the fact the highly addictive drug is easy to make and most of its ingredients are easy to obtain. Baloun says he plans to put on a training session for area businesses that sell cold tablets. The tablets contain pseudoephedrine…a common ingredient in meth. He says he’d like to see stores require anyone purchasing two packages or more of pseudoephedrine sign for it.
Baloun added the number of meth lab dumpsites they’ve found so far this year in Dickinson county is down considerably from past years. He says that’s because the remnants are being burned.
Wes Ethridge of the Iowa Department of Human Services talked about new provisions in the state’s child abuse laws as they pertain to drugs and meth. He says they’ve adopted a zero-tolerance policy…meaning a child will be removed from any home where either or both parents or the child itself tests positive for meth. The same holds true if a search turns up meth or precursors. Ethridge says unlike police, the D-H-S has the authority to conduct searches without having to obtain search warrants.
Ethridge added the problem with drug-related child abuse continues to increase. He sited statistics that show an average of two to three drug-related reports of abuse are received by the agency every week in Clay, Dickinson and O’Brien counties…the counties his office serves.
Dr. David Robison, Clay County Medical Examiner, told the crowd more attention needs to be placed on more common substances that can also be highly addictive…including caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. While most people can control their addiction to those substances, Dr. Robison says others cannot. In those people he says the addiction grows to more serious drugs…eventually leading up to methampetamine use in some people.
Thursday’s seminar was put on in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week this week at the Okoboji Middle School.
