Over the last four years, we’ve made headway in reducing teen meth use, but we have a lot more to do and we cannot stop our fight. Meth continues to invade our state, endangering our children and fueling criminal activity. To beat it, we must approach it from every angle.

This week my Methamphetamine Task Force, chaired by Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall, released A Plan For Action: Addressing the Methamphetamine Crisis in Arizona. This plan provides a framework for policy makers, substance abuse specialists, law enforcement and community members to work together to fight this destructive drug.

The Task Force identified 10 action steps to eradicate meth use in Arizona and build safe, healthy communities throughout the state including:

• Increasing the number of drug courts in Arizona
• Engaging specialists on helping schools increase their prevention efforts
• Reducing trafficking, particularly of the precursor chemicals used to make meth
• Expanding treatment and making it accessible statewide
• Increasing efforts to shut down and clean up meth labs that are toxic dump sites in our neighborhoods 

I have already taken a number of steps to address many of the action items in the report, such as:

• Calling on Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff to take special action to intervene in precursor chemical shipments that originate in China and move legally into Mexico where they are converted to meth
• Forming the Arizona Substance Abuse Partnership
• Funding 22 meth coalitions around the state representing each county as well as many of our tribal communities
• Asking for additional funding for meth-specific treatment for inmates in my budget proposal
• Applying for a $7 million federal grant to expand treatment services and enhance drug courts statewide through my Division for Substance Abuse Policy
• Releasing the annual report on statewide substance abuse rates next month 

Meth is a community problem that will take the hard work and dedication of everyone to solve. My office will continue to call on the appropriate federal, state, local and tribal entities to carry out additional action items in the plan.

We cannot afford to lose an entire generation to this destructive and deadly drug. Together, we can work toward defeating meth and ensuring a safe, healthy and prosperous future for our children.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please contact my office at

800-253-0883 and ask to speak to Constituent Services.