Councilman Tom Simplot's
North Central News Column
Crystal Meth - Don’t Even Start
Our city is facing an epidemic of crystal methamphetamine use. The most shocking part is the age of first-time users and how quickly they become addicted. Crystal meth is a drug like no other in that a single, experimental usage can result in physical addiction. Police say it causes a majority of the violent crime in our neighborhoods. Our children, some as young as 11, are getting drawn into the meth lifestyle of crime, danger and death every day. Their lives, and those of their families, are never the same once they start.
As a community, we’ve seen the need to reach out to our young people with honest, straightforward information about the effects and dangers of meth. That’s why the city of Phoenix produced two videos entitled “METH: don’t even start,” focused on middle school- and high school-aged students. These videos show interviews with other teen and young adult meth users and the devastating effect it has had on their lives.
These videos are being distributed to public, charter and private schools all around the state to be used as part of a prevention, health or science curriculum. Hopefully, your middle school- or high school-aged children will view the video at school and discuss it with you. Better yet, ask your child if their school has talked about drug prevention or if they have seen the video. It’s a great way to legitimately bring up the subject and begin a real conversation about the dangers of drug use.
As co-chairs of the city’s Crystal Meth Task Force, Vice Mayor Dave Siebert and I worked to develop an ordinance placing medications contacting pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in meth, behind drugstore counters. As a City, we’ve committed to support legislation to increase enforcement efforts and penalties for those endanger us all by creating meth labs in our neighborhoods. Those were the first steps. Together, with financial assistance from the Arizona Credit Union System, the Phoenix Police and Fire departments and the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, we’ve now taken the next step toward educating and warning our youth and preventing meth disasters before they occur.
No drug or alcohol use by our children is safe. But meth is uniquely dangerous in how quickly it can addict and how completely it can devastate users, their families and entire neighborhoods. The battle against meth is a difficult one. It will take time, cooperation and resources. But the future of our children is at stake and they are worth saving.
Councilman Tom Simplot represents District 4, which includes parts of north central Phoenix. If you have questions, comments or suggestions on this or any other issue, contact his office at council.district.4@phoenix.gov or call 602-262-7447.
