By Robert Barron, Staff Writer
A state law passed in 2004 has resulted in a decrease in the manufacture of methamphetamine, although the drug still is a problem in the area.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Fields said a comprehensive program of education, treatment and enforcement has been a key element in the fight against the drug, along with the state law making the cold medicine pseudoephedrine a Schedule 5 drug. The law was passed in May 2004 and requires pseudoephedrine to be sold behind the counter at a pharmacy and people purchasing it to show photo identification.
Prior to the law, pseudoephedrine was sold over the counter as an ingredient in nasal decongestants and some cough medicines at convenience stores and truck stops, and large amounts were diverted for illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, Fields said.
“We’ve seen a 90 percent reduction statewide in the number of meth lab cases. However, meth still is available, and the source has changed,” he said.
His statistics come from Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Department of Justice.
District Judge Dennis Hladik became judge in 2006 and said in the past three years he has seen drug cases decline significantly. Today, he sees fewer methamphetamine cases than he did only a few years ago.
Homemade meth, manufactured locally in small labs, has been replaced in popularity by crystal methamphetamine, manufactured in large laboratories in Mexico and the southwest United States, Fields said.
Garfield County District Attorney’s Office has seen a reduction in overall drug cases since about 2005-06. The trend not only is in Oklahoma but nationally. During 2005-06, arrests peaked, and since then drug arrest rates have declined.
Since 2002, drug arrests among teens have declined significantly, although the number has remained level since 2005, Fields said. The most common drug used by teens remains marijuana, followed by methamphetamine and cocaine. Mari-juana also is imported from Mexico.
“Today’s marijuana contains a much higher percentage of THC, the main psychoactive substance in can-nabis, than a few years ago, and potency has increased dramatically,” Fields said.
Fields said he likes to think the numbers have dropped because of increased education, more treatment and thorough law enforcement and prosecution, but he is unsure if research will support that.
“Any drug reduction strategy must address both the supply and demand,” he said. “A balanced, comprehensive approach is best: greater availability of treatment, as well as continued enforcement and prosecution of drug laws.”
Another effective tool in fighting drug abuse has been the establishment of drug courts. The county started a juvenile drug court in 2000 and adult court in 2004. Drug court is for non-violent offenders and in some ways can be an alternative to incarceration, Fields said.
About 200 adults and juveniles have completed the program, and Fields said he is proud of the success. The national recidivism rate for drug of-fenders is 67 percent. In Gar-field County, only 10 percent of juveniles and 20 percent of adults return to court for other drug offenses, he said.
There is a significant cost savings in treatment, as opposed to incarcerating offenders. The drug court program holds offenders accountable, protects the public, breaks the grip of addiction and restores hope, Fields said.
A comprehensive ap-proach works, and the criminal justice system addressing the supply side is important. He said people charged with drug dealing, trafficking and manufacturing are not eligible for drug court.
“For the right offender, this is the right program,” he said.
