Craig Daily Press / Governor declares Monday Meth Awareness Day

Archive for Saturday, November 28, 2009

Daily Press Staff

November 28, 2009

Gov. Bill Ritter has proclaimed Monday as Colorado Meth Awareness Day, according to a proclamation signed earlier this month.

In his proclamation, the governor cited several meth-related facts surrounding the drug’s use in Colorado. Those facts include:

• From 2003 to 2006, Colorado ranked eighth in the county for the total quantity of 49,000 past-year meth users.

• The state’s rate of meth-related crime is 56 percent higher than the national average and “is a significant economic and social cost burden on the state, especially because of increased foster-care placements for children.”

• Colorado has taken “significant action” to counteract meth abuse through collaboration between law enforcement, treatment experts, lawmakers and prevention experts as part of the state’s Methamphetamine Task Force.

• The U.S. Department of Justice considers meth a “primary drug threat to Colorado.”

The proclamation also cites the RAND Corporation’s Drug Policy Research Center, which states methamphetamine costs the United States about $23.4 billion each year.