by Coloradoan » Sat Nov 23, 2002 2:50 pm
In the war on drugs, northeastern Colorado might not seem a hotbed of activity. But methamphetamine use in rural Colorado counties has been linked to a slew of neglected children that are tapping social services.
A new study conducted by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs has found that costs related to methamphetamine use in Yuma, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick and Washington counties increased by almost $1 million between 1999 and 2001.
"I've seen a lot of drug and alcohol issues, but what we began to see in 1999 was a real increase in child neglect cases that had (methamphetamine use) really at the core," said Tom Westfall, Yuma County social services director. "We call it the walk-away drug because people who take it walk away from their families, their children, their responsibilities.
Before 1995, Yuma County averaged eight to 10 children in foster care a year, Westfall said. That compares with 17 children, 15 directly related to drug use, who were in foster care between March and October 2000, Westfall said.
"For example, a young woman came to (Wray) to party with a friend and she brought her child. Prolonged (methamphetamine) use creates paranoia," Westfall said. "She left the child and just took off, and no one heard from her. We don't even know her last name."
These kinds of situations put a large burden on social services that are minimally able to respond to such cases, he said.
Lilias Jarding, CSU cooperative extension community development specialist, led the study. It's not uncommon for the cooperative extension to look into social problems impacting rural communities, she said.
"I have a rural background, and I was surprised by the extent of the drug use," Jarding said.
Methamphetamine becomes a drug of choice because the rural areas have the chemicals necessary for production, such as fertilizer tanks, and there are numerous outbuildings on farms that can be converted into labs. People also live far apart, providing privacy and helping to conceal the strong smell of production, Jarding said.
Most rural communities lack the kind of drug treatment facilities and options available in cities. Major highways within the area provide transportation routes and access to larger cities, she said.
Still, local officials aren't worried increased drug production in northeastern Colorado contributes much to drug use in Larimer County.
The county has an estimated 30 methamphetamine labs, said Sgt. Frances Gonzales, a member of the Larimer County Drug Task Force team. In the past two years, the task force has dismantled nearly 50 labs in the county.
"It's kind of a misnomer to call these meth labs," Gonzales said. "They're in chicken coops, motel rooms and dilapidated sheds. You can go to just about any Web site and get recipes."
The meth produced in rural Colorado likely stays primarily in rural Colorado, where it may be harder for rural residents to get other types of drugs, Gonzales said. This is a drug of convenience for rural residents, he said.
In the war on drugs, northeastern Colorado might not seem a hotbed of activity. But methamphetamine use in rural Colorado counties has been linked to a slew of neglected children that are tapping social services.
A new study conducted by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs has found that costs related to methamphetamine use in Yuma, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick and Washington counties increased by almost $1 million between 1999 and 2001.
"I've seen a lot of drug and alcohol issues, but what we began to see in 1999 was a real increase in child neglect cases that had (methamphetamine use) really at the core," said Tom Westfall, Yuma County social services director. "We call it the walk-away drug because people who take it walk away from their families, their children, their responsibilities.
Before 1995, Yuma County averaged eight to 10 children in foster care a year, Westfall said. That compares with 17 children, 15 directly related to drug use, who were in foster care between March and October 2000, Westfall said.
"For example, a young woman came to (Wray) to party with a friend and she brought her child. Prolonged (methamphetamine) use creates paranoia," Westfall said. "She left the child and just took off, and no one heard from her. We don't even know her last name."
These kinds of situations put a large burden on social services that are minimally able to respond to such cases, he said.
Lilias Jarding, CSU cooperative extension community development specialist, led the study. It's not uncommon for the cooperative extension to look into social problems impacting rural communities, she said.
"I have a rural background, and I was surprised by the extent of the drug use," Jarding said.
Methamphetamine becomes a drug of choice because the rural areas have the chemicals necessary for production, such as fertilizer tanks, and there are numerous outbuildings on farms that can be converted into labs. People also live far apart, providing privacy and helping to conceal the strong smell of production, Jarding said.
Most rural communities lack the kind of drug treatment facilities and options available in cities. Major highways within the area provide transportation routes and access to larger cities, she said.
Still, local officials aren't worried increased drug production in northeastern Colorado contributes much to drug use in Larimer County.
The county has an estimated 30 methamphetamine labs, said Sgt. Frances Gonzales, a member of the Larimer County Drug Task Force team. In the past two years, the task force has dismantled nearly 50 labs in the county.
"It's kind of a misnomer to call these meth labs," Gonzales said. "They're in chicken coops, motel rooms and dilapidated sheds. You can go to just about any Web site and get recipes."
The meth produced in rural Colorado likely stays primarily in rural Colorado, where it may be harder for rural residents to get other types of drugs, Gonzales said. This is a drug of convenience for rural residents, he said.