Dealing with Oklahoma's 'meth' epidemic

Oklahoma's meth epidemic is killing people, wrecking lives and costing us millions of dollars. The drug not only takes a terrible toll on the users and their families, it also creates a toxic mess.

Wednesday, April 28th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Oklahoma's meth epidemic is killing people, wrecking lives and costing us millions of dollars. The drug not only takes a terrible toll on the users and their families, it also creates a toxic mess.

Hundreds of folks were in Tulsa Wednesday to talk about how to fight back. News on 6 anchor Terry Hood says it is not just police who deal with meth labs.

Social workers, mental health professionals, and environmental folks all deal with the fall-out from making this addictive and destructive drug. That's why the Cherokee Nation wanted to get all of these people in one room to talk about solutions. Oklahoma police officers have busted more than 2,400 meth labs in the last two years.

Experts speculate that's only a fraction of the actual number of active labs out there. For the next couple of days, 350 people from different agencies are going to exchange information on everything from meth psychosis to the drug's toxic waste and the children caught in the middle.

Tom Elkins with Cherokee Nationâ€™s Environmental Programs: "law enforcement isnâ€™t the only way to address it, social services isnâ€™t the only way, environmental isnâ€™t the only way we need a multi-disciplinary multi-tasking force to work on things."

When police bust a meth lab, taxpayers foot the bill to get rid of the toxic materials.