|
Citizens gather at Town Hall Meetings to address methamphetamine
Crawford County residents in three different communities gathered to learn more about methamphetamine, the effects the drug has on its community, and what they can do about it.
Town Hall Meetings on Methamphetamine were held in Wauzeka, Seneca, and North Crawford communities the first two weeks of November. A total of 98 people attended between the three meetings.
The meetings included a meal and a panel presentation. The panel was made up of Crawford County citizens who have been trained to deal with meth enforcement or prevention. “We did not want to bring in someone from out of the area to talk about what meth programs look like in Minneapolis or another area with large police departments and special programs. This is something we need to deal with locally with the resources we have here in Crawford County. The Town Hall format allowed for local input, concerns, and ideas on how we can address this social issue in our rural area,” said Rick Peterson, Program Director for C.A.R.E.
Prevention Specialist Stacie Anderson with Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital gave an overview of the drug, its effects on the body, and why it has increased in accessibility and popularity.
Officer Terry Sprosty and Detective Chad Abram, both with the Prairie du Chien Police Department, talked about meth manufacturing and other meth related crime. Sprosty said Crawford County is the ideal area for meth “cooks” to make the drug, as the rural areas make it easy to hide a lab and its smells. He outlined what citizens should look for, and how to report suspicious activity.
Abram talked about secondary victims of meth use, specially focusing on children who live with meth-using parents. He talked about the “Drug Endangered Children” (DEC) program, and its objectives. Abram said DEC is about rescuing children from drug endangered environments, and providing the long-term services they need to succeed in life.
Social Worker Bruce Elvert made a plea for more foster care parents. He said the county is currently operating with 12 homes, when they ideally should have 20 or more. Elvert said there are currently 20 children in out-of-home placements; two of which were meth-related removals. Elvert commended the DEC idea, but added that for it to truly be successful; children removed from these environments need a place to go once removed from the drug-endangered environment.
Prevention Specialist Mary Sprosty with Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital talked about drug prevention, emphasizing that alcohol reducing underage drinking is the key to meth prevention. “Young people do not start with meth. They experiment with other drugs first, and then move onto meth once they have bought into the idea that they need to be wasted to enjoy themselves.” Sprosty addressed strategies parents can use to prevent alcohol, tobacco, meth, and other drug use.
School Teacher Diane Yager in Seneca, Guidance Counselor Stacie Troxel in Wauzeka, and School Board Member Judy Powell in North Crawford added a local component to the panel. Each outlined programs and resources available in their communities and specific things their schools were doing towards drug prevention.
The Town Hall Meetings were sponsored by the Crawford Abuse Resistance Effort, Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, Family Resource Center, Prairie du Chien Police Department, Crawford County Emergency Government, local Fire and First Responder department, and the Wisconsin Rural Health Initiative.
For more information, Crawford County offers these local contacts:
Methamphetamine presentations or programs for youth; Stacie Anderson, 357-2085
Training for law enforcement, fire departments, first responders; Officer Terry Sprosty, 326-2421
Drug Endangered Children trainings or information; Detective Chad Abram, 326-2421
Preventing drug use among teens; Mary Sprosty, 357-2084
Treatment information or support groups, Villa Success, 326-8424
|