1 Methamphetamine’s Impact on Women and their Children April 22, 2006

1

Methamphetamine’s Impact on Women and

their Children

April 22, 2006

2

CAN I GET YOUR ATTENTION?

3

Methamphetamine Methamphetamine (Meth) Was Once Located In Rural Towns And On The

West Coast, Has Erupted Across The United States And Is Now

Devastating Countless Families, Children And Neighborhoods.

4

What is Methamphetamine Methamphetamine (Meth) Is A Powerfully Addictive Stimulant That Has A High Potential For Abuse And Dramatically Affects The Central Nervous

System.

5

Is Meth Addictive?

Meth Is Addictive, And Users Can Develop A Tolerance Quickly,

Needing Larger Amounts To Get High.

6

Did You KnowIn Some Cases, Users Forego Food And Sleep And Take

More Meth Every Few Hours For Days, 'Binging' Until They Run Out Of The Drug Or Become Too Disorganized To

Continue.

7

Did You KnowImmediately After Smoking Or Injection, The User Experiences An Intense Sensation, Called A “ Rush” Or "Flash," That Lasts Only A

Few Minutes And Is Described As Extremely Pleasurable.

8

Did You KnowOther Possible Immediate Effects Include Increased Wakefulness And Insomnia, Decreased Appetite, Irritability/Aggression, Anxiety,

Nervousness, Convulsions And Heart Attack.

9

Did You Know"More Than 12 Million Americans Have Tried

Methamphetamine, And 1.5 Million Are Regular Users."- David J. Jefferson, "America's Most Dangerous Drug" Newsweek August 8, 2005

“Meth Addicts Are Pouring Into Prisons And Recovery Centers At An Ever-increasing Rate, And A New Generation Of 'Meth Babies' Is Choking The Foster-care System In Many States."- David J. Jefferson, "America's Most Dangerous Drug" Newsweek August 8, 2005

Rock Meth

http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Meth/default.html

11

Where is the Meth Epidemic and How Bad is It?

12

Meth Initiation, 1965 to 2003(National Data from TEDS )

Number of First Time Users, in Thousands

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

2001199119801971

New users who fuel our current meth epidemic.

13

Meth Prevalence, 2000 to 2004

Number of Past Month Users, in Thousands

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

24 or more

< 3

3 - 9Incomplete data

10 - 23

Primary methamphetamine/amphetamine admission rates by State: TEDS 1992-2002(per 100,000 population aged 12 and over)

1993

KEY YEAR: 1992Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


1994


24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


1995


24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


1996


24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


1997


24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


1998


24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


1999


24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


2000


24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


KEY YEAR: 1992

2001

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

24 or more

< 3


10 - 23


KEY YEAR: 1992

2002

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Did You Know

"Untold Families Who Bought Homes In Recent Years Live In Former Meth Labs.” Some, Upon Discovering Their Homes Were Filled With

Residue From Acetone, Red Phosphorus And Other Toxic Agents, Have Fled, Losing Their Investment And A Life's Worth Of Treasured Possessions."- Richard Jerome "Home Toxic Home?" People August 8, 2005

Meth is a triple-whammy:

• Law Enforcement Costs

• Treatment and Societal/Family Costs

• Meth Lab Clean-up Costs

100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None

Methamphetamine Lab Seizures by State: DEA, Federal Seizures Only, 1995-2003(Number of Seizures)

KEY YEAR: 1995

Total Lab Seizures in 1995 = 912

Data Source: El Paso Intelligence Center, National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System

Charts prepared by Carnevale Associates, LLC

100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None


KEY YEAR: 1995

Total Lab Seizures in 1996 = 2,509



100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None



KEY YEAR: 1995

DC



100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None



KEY YEAR: 1995Data Source: El Paso Intelligence Center, National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System


100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None





100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None





100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None





100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None





100 or more

1 < 50

50 - 99

None





34

Good News! - 67% Reduction in Labs(Salt Lake County Metro Data)

59

105

262 272

226

169

132

96 90

37

0

5 0

10 0

15 0

2 0 0

2 5 0

3 0 0

FY 96 FY 97 FY 98 FY 99 FY 00 FY 01 FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05

DEA METRO NARCOTICS TASK FORCEFiscal Year Clandestine Laboratory Seizures

( FY 0 5 Dat a R an ge: 10 / 0 1/ 0 4 - 0 4 / 19 / 0 5 )

Bad News! – Meth is now being trafficked in from Mexico as it is cheap and easy to produce.

35

Who is Using Meth and Why?

• Remember that drug abuse is a complex issue that is highly impacted by a person’s environment and genetic make-up.

• For those that use drugs it is all about the “market”:– Cost of the drug on the street– Availability of the drug– Risk in the use of the drug

36

Gender of People in Substance Abuse Treatment

61.6%

82.1%

38.4%

17.8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Perc

en

t o

f P

eo

ple

Serv

ed

.

Male Female

Gender Trends

37

METH Use Among Women is Higher Than with Men

(Utah Data)

Number of Admissions by GenderFY2002

13526

1830 1845

6520

0

4000

8000

12000

16000

Male Female

Nu

mb

er o

f A

dm

issi

on

s

Total Admissions Meth Admissions

38

Patient Admissions for Alcohol vs. Drug DependenceFY1991 to FY2005

16.6%

68.4%

83.4%

31.6%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Per

cent

of T

otal

Adm

issi

ons

.

All Drugs Alcohol

Alcohol vs. Drugs

39

Top Four Illicit Drugs of Choice by Year (Excluding Alcohol)FY1991 to FY2005

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Perc

ent of Tota

l Adm

issio

ns

.

Methamphetamine

Marijuana

Heroin

Cocaine/Crack

40

Women, Children and Methamphetamine

• Methamphetamine (METH) continues to be the drug of choice among SLCo’s women of childbearing age who use and abuse illegal drugs.

• Reasons for the preference for METH among this population are many and complex, and include:

– difficulties in juggling family and personal responsibilities– women who use METH are typically depressed, dependent on a male for financial

support, lacking in marketable vocational skills, and overwhelmed with child care responsibilities.

• Of particular concern is the fact that two-thirds (68%) of these women* have young, dependent children. METH appears to be appealing to young women in the short term for several reasons:

– It is cheap and easy to get;– Individuals report that the effects of the drug are extremely appealing– It gives them the energy they need to take care of their children;– It gives them the energy to maintain a home;– It gives them the energy to keep working; and– It helps women lose weight (often referred to as the “Jenny Crank” drug).

*Most of these women must rely, in part, on a male relative or other man to help them subsidize the care of their children. One of the consequences of this reliance is that they must “party” with this man. Because METH is one of the most addictive drugs, once women (or anyone) begin to use METH, they can quickly become physically and psychologically dependent and may not be able to control their use and abuse of the drug. AP&P reports that 90% of women supervised for drug violations began using drugs given to them by their male partners.

41

Drug/Gender

Male Female TotalAlcohol 36.8% 22.2% 31.2%Marijuana/Hashish 18.4% 12.5% 16.1%Heroin 11.5% 8.6% 10.4%Other Opiates/Synthetics 3.4% 6.4% 4.5%Club Drugs 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%Other Hallucinogens 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%Cocaine/Crack 6.0% 7.2% 6.4%Methamphetamine 21.0% 38.3% 27.6%Other Stimulants 0.3% 0.6% 0.4%Benzodiazepines 0.3% 1.2% 0.6%Other Sedative-Hypnotics 0.0% 0.4% 0.2%Inhalants 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%Over-the-Counter 0.1% 0.0% 0.1%Other 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%None/Missing 1.8% 2.3% 2.0%

Total: 11,742 7,243 18,985

FY2005Primary Substance by Gender

42

Under 18 18 to 25 26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 65 66 and over Missing TotalAlcohol 472 1,213 1,326 1,568 1,298 38 10 5,925Marijuana/Hashish 1,343 904 495 229 89 0 4 3,064Heroin 18 558 556 470 364 2 0 1,968Other Opiates/Synthetics 18 250 295 183 108 1 0 855Club Drugs 6 13 5 1 1 0 0 26Other Hallucinogens 7 17 12 5 2 0 0 43Cocaine/Crack 44 231 339 436 172 0 1 1,223Methamphetamine 187 1,624 1,998 1,126 291 0 9 5,235Other Stimulants 1 18 24 19 14 0 0 76Benzodiazepines 2 27 29 40 18 0 0 116Other Sedative-Hypnotics 1 3 11 9 6 0 0 30Inhalants 11 5 3 0 0 0 0 19Over-the-Counter 3 7 1 0 1 0 0 12Other 2 5 5 4 3 0 0 19None/Missing 240 26 23 18 9 0 58 374

Primary Substance of Abuse by Age GroupingFY2005

Drug/Age

43

Dependent Children

Percent of all Patients with

Children

Average Number of Children (of Patients with

Children)

Percent of Women with

Children

Average Number of Children

(of Women with Children)

Bear River 29.5% 2.15 38.3% 2.09Central Utah 48.2% 2.05 55.7% 2.12Davis County 54.4% 2.06 65.8% 2.05Four Corners 47.0% 2.29 59.8% 2.34Northeastern 81.1% 1.98 86.2% 1.90Salt Lake County 36.7% 2.15 54.3% 2.20San Juan County 9.3% 1.75 23.1% 2.00Southwest Center 57.6% 2.78 71.2% 2.88Summit County 23.7% 2.31 25.5% 1.85Tooele County 43.7% 2.17 61.3% 2.35U of U Clinic 60.6% 2.34 65.9% 2.42Utah County 47.6% 2.41 64.6% 2.40Utah State Prison 35.8% 2.23 49.5% 2.24Wasatch County 56.3% 2.65 62.8% 2.78Weber Human Services 45.3% 2.10 58.8% 2.22

Total: 41.0% 2.21 56.9% 2.25

Patients with Dependent ChildrenFiscal Year 2005

44

METH Use Peaks in Child-bearing Years

Top Four Illicit Drugs of Choice by Age GroupsFiscal Year 2002

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

1800

Under18

18 to24

25 to34

35 to44

45 to64

Nu

mb

er o

f A

dm

issi

on

s

Cocaine/Crack

Marijuana/Hashish

Heroin

Methamphetamine

45

What is the Meth Epidemic Costing Us?

• Remember – we pay one way or another for Meth– Law Enforcement– Prisons/Jail– Courts – Child Welfare– Hospital/ER – Safe and Healthy Communities

46

National Average Societal Issues with National Average Societal Issues with Substance Abuse Contributing Factor Substance Abuse Contributing Factor

70% of

Teen Suicides

Traffic

50% of

Fatalities

52% of Murders

68% of

Manslaughter

Charges

55% of

Burglaries

51% of Auto Thefts

80% of Child

Abuse

51% of Assaults

45% of Rapes

Alcohol and Drugs are Associated

With

Note: These figures are national, however the Salt Lake County

Sheriff’s Department estimates that 75-85% of all crime in Salt Lake

County is substance-related

47

31%37%

50%53% 55% 59%

66%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

CY 98 CY 99 CY 00 CY 01 CY 02 CY 03 CY04

Percent of Children Placed in Custody with Alcohol/Drug Contributing Factors

48

Cost of Treatment

• It costs SLCo about $26,000 per year to treat a three member family.

• Since the cost to fund each family treatment episode is financed with a variety of other funds, the SLCo/State general fund share is about 25% or $6,500 per family treatment episode.

• This is a favorable figure when compared to all the costs of incarceration– cost of incarceration for a woman is about $30,000 per year– to keep a child in state foster care for one year is about $33,000

(total family cost for incarceration and two foster care placements is about $100,000 per year in state and county general funds)

• The $26,000 for family treatment is our most expensive treatment modality, costs range from $3,500 per slot for single men to the $26,000 for a three member family in family treatment. Therefore, the cost savings to the taxpayer to treat rather than incarcerate a mother of two children is significant.

49

Part of the Answer - Treatment and Prevention

50

Number of Adults who Need Treatment Compared to the Current Public Treatment Capacity

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

Bea

r R

iver

Centra

l Uta

h

Davi

s B

ehav

iora

l Health

Fou

r Cor

ner

s

Northe

aste

rn

Sal

t Lake

Coun

ty

San

Juan

Coun

ty

Sou

thw

est

Cen

ter

Sum

mit

Cou

nty

Too

ele C

oun

ty

Uta

h C

ount

y

Wasa

tch

County

Webe

r H

S

Nu

mb

er o

f A

du

lts

X

Need Capacity

(38,769)

Treatment Gap – Utah is Very Representative of the U.S.

51

“Substance Abuse is a Chronic Relapsing Disease” Nat’l Institute of Drug Abuse

• This is a health care issue!• Insurance plans should cover treatment and intervention as a part of

a health care policy.• Employers should make sure that treatment and intervention are

included in their health care plans.• The treatment capacity is at about 25% of the need – provide

incentives to the private treatment system and they will respond by building more capacity.

• Provide more public treatment funding for the individuals who do not have insurance (employer-based, Medicaid, etc.)

• Develop more and better prevention and intervention programs designed to inform the public – “de-stigmatize” addiction.

53

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant(SAPT Block Grant)

Foundation of Substance Abuse Treatment in the U.S.

2002 United States Public Expenditures for SA Treatment

$1,633,665,433

$328,225,472

$1,665,277,159

$174,013,017

$46,892,629

$49,079,776

SAPT BG (Fed)

Medicaid

State

Other Fed.

Local (county/city)

Other Funds

* Medicaid is one of the major funding sources for women's’ substance abuse treatment in the U.S.

*

54

What You Can Do!!!• Talk with your elected officials (federal, state, county and city).• Tell them we need a coordinated strategy that includes these five

elements:– Harden our borders to keep international traffickers out.– Ask your federal representatives (Congress) to enter into

discussions with international producer countries of Meth precursor drugs.

– Help advocate for more treatment slots for Meth addicts.– Talk with your federal and local officials about standards for Meth

lab cleanup.– Talk with your federal and state officials about tighter control of

Meth precursor drugs (behind the counter and logs).• Start talking and advocating for treatment to be a part of the

discussion on health care policy.• Work in your communities to develop messages aimed at preventing

substance abuse – especially Meth use.• Let your elected official know that we can’t “punish” our way out of

this problem.

55

Remember that women control most health care decisions in their families and the United States – you are a powerful

voice for a rational health care policy and the best hope for addicted women and their

children.

Documents

1 Methamphetamine’s Impact on Women and their Children April 22, 2006