Meth Abuse Cited as Top Drug Problem for Law Enforcement Agencies

Increase in Arrests Has Taxed Other County Departments; White House Says Marijuana Is Still No. 1 Woe

Associated Press
Wednesday, July 6, 2005; Page A07

EVANSVILLE, Ind., July 5 -- 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.

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.
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no shit? meth is bad?