"Sharing Success Building Coalitions
 to Stop Meth in Washington State"

Meth Summit III
September 16, 2003

      It was good to hear from Congressman Baird who is a true leader on this issue who speaks with effort and action. It has been a real refreshing factor in the work that we do in my office on drugs to have someone in congress that not only understand this issue well, but also advocates so strongly for us and the resources that we need to improve the quality of life for our kids and communities. I would like to say it is good to see you all today, but in reality I would prefer we not have to gather for the reason we are all here; to continue our collaborative efforts to eradicate the scourge of meth in our state and deal with the consequences of its use.

      It is great, however, that we have people like you willing to take the time to come together to develop comprehensive strategies and organize anti-drug efforts. Fortunately, this same willingness has been prevalent throughout the state for the last several years. I can attest to it as I have participated in similar summits and efforts in King, Pierce, Clallam, and Lewis County, and Eastern Washington as well. In 2001 I attended the meth summit hosted by Sheriff Dave Reichert and Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn and Congressman Brian Baird. More than 350 people from 27 counties attended that summit to begin to fashion a statewide, comprehensive strategy to combat the dealers and meth labs that were growing exponentially around the state.

     Many of you attended that conference and I understand that through the conference that work is now being taken to a higher plane. Coalitions from around the state will review strategies on how to bring to bear all of the resources a community has to offer to combat this terrible drug and offer examples of what has worked in their communities. Hence the very appropriate theme:

    “Sharing Success, Building Coalitions to Stop Meth in Washington State”. In the meth conference I spoke at in Tacoma I asked the participants to be careful not to attack the meth problem in such a way that it just pushes it out of Pierce County only to resettle in a nearby county. Certainly, these heartless, mindless cooks and dealers do move, but luckily, they are likely to run into the same resistance in their new locations as they have in their last. I would like to think that it was my incredibly motivational and inspiring comments that made that happen, but in fact it is because, except for just a few examples, we do not have the “ this is my jurisdiction boy and we do not need your help here” attitude that can destroy a community not to mention a successful program. I congratulate you all for the team concepts that you have developed and of course encourage that you not only keep on in this effective manner, but see where you can expand on them and continue to be national leaders in cooperation, collaboration and success. It was good to see my friend Consul Jorge Madrazo of Mexico here last evening. He is a man of integrity and concern for the welfare of all people and a true friend to our state. This issue certainly has had international implications as you have worked with Canadian officials as well.

     As you discuss the meth issues in your communities I ask that you keep in mind that meth is only one of many drugs that affect the lives of not only the users, but of their family, friends and loved ones and many other unrelated innocent victims as well. Each year drug and alcohol abuse kills 120,000 Americans. ONDCP recently reported that illegal drugs cost taxpayers $276 billion dollars annually in preventable health care costs, law enforcement, auto accidents, crime and lost productivity Substance abuse is the number one health problem facing our country today and if we can eliminate the temptations to one, whether through prevention, treatment or interdiction we can potentially eliminate the use of all drugs for that individual. Of course, I realize that meth carries with it its own special, ugly problems, particularly with the manufacturing process. The dangerousness of it, the filth that is often found in the meth houses and the horrible callousness towards their own children’s health and welfare common among meth makers, are just a few of those concerns.

     We have collectively taken steps to deal with all of these issues. Now I see that you are including in your discussions at this important conference, the new guidelines that will further protect our endangered children. I am thrilled to see that. It is vital to answer the question of what happens to them after being removed from a home that has shown little love and no nurturing. There is research that tells us what has worked with other children with all of these negative factors in their lives. One such study that I know many of you are familiar with that has gone on for years is called the resiliency model. It shows that there are three common denominators amongst these kids. They have had care and support by at least one person. They have been given high expectations and then help to meet those expectations and finally the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to their social environment, in other words, to do something good. Our challenge is not only getting these precious children connected to someone who can give them care and support and help. It is not just getting the resources to provide the resources and the hope. It is stopping the continual diminishing of the resources to the state for these services by people who have never had to deal with these real issues, with real people or solve real problems.

     By people who forward initiatives and proposals for their own, self interest with no thought for the impact on society as a whole. Let me share with you some known facts on some other issues of great concern. The 2001 White House report shows that teen drug use has dropped 21% in the past two years. Overall, drug use is down 50% over the last two decades and drug related crimes have plummeted to all time lows. Clearly, working together, we have made progress, but statistics show that we still have work to do. More than 4 million kids ages 12-17 are smokers and more than 20% of teens use inhalants. By 12th grade, 75% of students have used alcohol. Fifty two percent are current drinkers and 32% are binge drinkers. In fact, the latest public health survey data count more than 7 million young people who describe themselves as binge drinkers. In the last decade, the number of kids under 18 trying alcohol has nearly doubled. The most disturbing, most sad and most unnecessary fact is, every day three kids drink and drive and kill themselves. But, if you know the facts about the alcohol industry these statistics would not surprise you.

     However, they should infuriate you because it is far from an accident. Our kids are hammered with alcohol advertising even though the industry has regulations to direct them not to. The problem is they are self enforced guidelines which they do not self enforce. 25 alcohol brands placed all of their magazine advertising in youth-oriented publications even though their own regulations tell them not to. In 2001, over 208,000-alcohol product commercials appeared on TV kids saw at least 25% of them. The hard and true fact is, youth were 170 times more likely to see an ad promoting alcohol than an industry ad discouraging drunk driving, And 93 times more likely to see an ad promoting alcohol than an industry ad discouraging underage drinking. Interestingly, adults were twice as likely to see the industry’s ads telling kids to wait until they’re 21 to drink. Since the alcohol industry hires the best marketing firms in the world, it is hard to buy their arguments that the marketing to kids is “unintentional”. Especially when you look at the fact that kids saw 58% fewer wine ads than adults and that teens are not purchasers or potential customers. In other words, the industry can and does strategically place their alcohol ads and our kids are their victims. As far as other drugs our own states semi annual healthy youth survey shows drug use down in all grades, but with one disturbing fact. Twelfth grader’s perception of harm of using marijuana is down and an absolute historically proven fact is when the perception of harm of using any drug goes down it is followed by an increase of use. Some people still want to say “so what, it’s just pot”. That should disturb all of you as much as it does me when you look at this absolute fact.

     More kids, in Washington State and the nation, enter our publicly funded treatment facilities with a primary diagnosis of addiction to marijuana than any other drug including alcohol. I believe that if you can keep kids from stepping over that line from non user to user of marijuana they are not likely to step over it for any other drug. We need to speak out against the three stooges, Soros, Sperling and Lewis’s drug legalization movement and their lies about marijuana being non-addictive. Have those clowns go and tell the thousands of kids in treatment for marijuana that it is not addictive. We have to be concerned about the perception of harm of using marijuana going down by 12th graders and what it means to the future use of all drugs. Few users start with cocaine, heroine or meth.  All of these folks, the tobacco and alcohol industries and the drug pushers know that if our kids do not start using their products before get through their teens they likely never will.

     They have to get them early or they won’t get them at all. So, it is crystal clear that the alcohol industry, the tobacco companies and the folks pushing drugs are all after the hearts and minds bodies and souls of our kids, and that they use all of the means available from television to the Internet, rock concerts to the movies to reach them. The point of all of this is; the solution to preventing one is the same for preventing the other. If we can prevent it we prevent not just having to expend enormous amounts of money that steal from the other very important needs of our citizens and communities, but we prevent the pain and suffering of so many innocent victims that is forced upon them by the scourge of drugs from marijuana to methamphetamines. So, while we must address the specific concerns related to meth we must be global in our efforts and deal with the total picture addressing all drugs. With all of these enormous pressures, these incredible efforts to hurt our kids, who is going to help them if we do not? Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth makes the point “It won’t be experts in some far away place who will keep alcohol out of the hands of kids, it will be the person sitting in your chair”. I agree and I would add that goes for drugs and tobacco as well. In what ever manner that you decide to address this awful problem, organize cooperative efforts and share and disseminate proven techniques you can be assured that my staff and I will be their to help whenever we can. You all have difficult jobs that few Americans choose to do yet from which all Americans receive the benefits.

    During my 28 years in public service, I have observed over and over and over again as you are asked to find new methods to address the latest difficult challenge to our kids and communities. I have observed your various professions’ resiliency and the professional’s persistence in taking each frustrating challenge on and meeting it and it never ceases to amaze me. You are incredible! Fortunately, for the people of our state and nation you are fighters, not quitters, caring not callous and are always there for all of us. We thank you. Thank you for caring and have a great conference.