Sheriffs Insist Meth Abuse Top Drug Problem Contradicting White House

The White House is at odds with the nation’s sheriffs over the U.S. top drug problem: the bigwigs in Washington insist it’s still marijuana while the sheriff’s insist it’s methamphetamine abuse.

And this is no tiny deal: at issue is the whole thrust of the federal drug push, the use of tax dollars to combat drug use, the prioritization of the anti-drug battle. But it does now seem that the White House and many sheriffs throughout the country aren’t on the same wavelenth, as the AP reports:

The crippling reach of methamphetamine abuse has become the nation’s leading drug problem affecting local law enforcement agencies, according to a survey of 500 sheriff’s departments in 45 states.

More than half of the sheriffs interviewed for a National Association of Counties survey released Tuesday said they considered meth the most serious problem facing their departments.

“We’re finding out that this is a bigger problem than we thought,” said Larry Naake, executive director of the association. “Folks at the state and federal level need to know about this.”

About 90 percent of those interviewed reported increases in meth-related arrests in their counties over the past three years, packing jails in the Midwest and elsewhere.

One possible reason: people who do meth are much more likely to be involved in crimes to support their habit and the side effects of meth include an increased tendency for violent behavior. People who use or have any illegal drug have made rotten decisions and can face messy legal situations — but meth is particularly nasty and, unfortunately, appealing to many young people. MORE:

The arrests also have swamped other county-level agencies that assist with caring for children whose parents have become addicted and with cleaning up toxic chemicals left behind by meth cookers.

The report comes soon after the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy restated its stance that marijuana remains the nation’s most substantial drug problem. Federal estimates show there are 15 million marijuana users compared with the 1 million that may use meth.

Dave Murray, a policy analyst for the White House, said he understands that the meth problem moving through the nation is serious and substantial. But he disagrees that it has become an epidemic.

“This thing is burning, and because it’s burning, we’re going to put it out,” he said. “But we can’t turn our back on other threats.”

Question: if the sheriffs are saying meth is a big threat and an epedemic how can a White House official then say its not true? Perhaps the answer is: “Easily — because we’re the White House.”

But don’t the sheriffs have a teeny-weenie idea about what kinds of crimes are on the increase and how they stack up in proportion to others? Or is this a question of “we have a policy and we’re sticking by it?”

Sheriff Jon R. Marvel of western Indiana’s Vigo County estimates that 80 percent of the inmates in his county’s jail in Terre Haute are held on meth-related charges.

Some years ago we were given a shocking unofficial figure by a San Diego sheriff DARE officer somewhat similar to this, although he included on-alcohol related crimes in it as well. He also said meth was a monster problem — not just in terms of its sale and posession, but because of what people on it may do.

And the cost? Marvel told the AP that an operating budget that has risen from $800,000 in 1999 to about $3.4 million last year to illustrate how policing meth has used county resources.

But the White House says it isn’t as big a problem as the guys in the field say.

So we can peacefully go back to watching CSI and hope someone on meth doesn’t break into our houses while we’re watching it.

MORE READING ON THIS ISSUE
–Background On Methamphetamine Abuse
–Meth Fact Sheet
–Meth Watch
–Drug Takes Its Toll On Kids
–What Happens To Children Of Meth Users