What is Meth Watch?
Communities
across America plagued by methamphetamine usage and production are looking for effective
and innovative ways to combat this growing problem.
Meth Watch
is a program sponsored by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and
is designed to help curtail the theft and suspicious sales of pseudoephedrine products,
as well as other common household products used in the illicit manufacturing of
methamphetamine in small, toxic labs. A key goal of this program is to promote cooperation
between retailers and law enforcement to prevent the diversion of legitimate products
for illegal use.
Meth Watch
was started in Kansas as a public-private partnership between the Kansas Department
of Health and Environment, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Methamphetamine
Prevention Project (part of the non-profit statewide drug prevention system), and
Kansas retailers. As news spread of its success, several states began to adopt the
Kansas model, including Mississippi.
The Kansas Story
The
Kansas Meth Prevention Project (KMPP) began as a public-private
partnership formed in October 2001 to develop a statewide infrastructure to fight
the methamphetamine problem in Kansas communities. The program received funding
through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in
2002. CHPA and its member companies are providing funding for its efforts in 2004.
The goals of the project include reducing the supply of methamphetamine by monitoring
the availability of products used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and reducing
the demand for methamphetamine by providing opportunities for youth education and
community awareness about the dangers of the drug.
Other Meth Watch Programs
In addition
to the Kansas program, a number of additional states have taken the Kansas model
and implemented their own Meth Watch programs, including the following.
Montana
North Dakota
Oregon
South Dakota
Tennessee
Virginia
Washington
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