Press Release
Fighting Methamphetamine Traffic and Addiction at California’s Border: Successes and Challenges in San Diego County
The Testimony of Elizabeth Urquhart, M.Ed., Director of Adolescent Services for Phoenix House in San Diego, Presented to California State Senate Select Committee Public Hearing on Methamphetamine Abuse
SAN DIEGO COUNTY ADMINISTRATION CENTER, May 5, 2006 -- Chairwoman Speier. Members of the Committee. Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to testify on this important subject.
My name is Elizabeth Urquhart and I am the Director of Adolescent Services for Phoenix House in San Diego. Phoenix House is the largest nonprofit provider of substance abuse treatment and prevention services in the country, operating more than 100 programs in nine states. Since 1967, Phoenix House has treated more than 100,000 substance abusers – currently caring for a population of more than 6,000 at residential centers for adults, residential Phoenix Academies combining long-term treatment and onsite schooling for adolescents, outpatient, after school, and day programs.
More than 2,200 individuals each day receive treatment through 29 Phoenix House programs throughout Southern and Central California. Phoenix House serves Los Angeles, and Orange counties with facilities located in Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Santa Fe Springs, Monrovia, and Venice. In San Diego County, Phoenix House has residential facilities in Descanso and outpatient facilities in Encinitas and Mission Beach. Within each county, we work closely with Probation departments, Mental Health departments, Child Welfare, schools, and many other local organizations to address the problem methamphetamine has created with the youth in our communities.
The latest treatment admissions data for Phoenix House has shown a steady increase in California teens entering treatment for methamphetamine abuse. From 2002 to 2005, the number of adolescents entering treatment for methamphetamine abuse rose 16 percent, from 172 admissions to 210 admissions. As a share of the overall teen treatment population in California, the increase has been even more dramatic. In 2002 admissions for methamphetamine represented just over a quarter of Phoenix House adolescent admissions. Last year 42.3 percent of new teen admissions were for methamphetamine.
The trend in Phoenix House’s California programs is consistent with data released last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (also know as SAMHSA), showing that methamphetamine treatment admissions have recently increased fourfold.
The data released by SAMHSA was from the 2003 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). It measured treatment admissions nationwide for individuals 12 and older from 1993 to 2003. Over that period, the number of people admitted to treatment for methamphetamine and amphetamine rose from 13 per 100,000 individuals 12 and older to 56 per 100,000 individuals 12 and older.
This data should be a stark warning that more must be done, both on the law enforcement side and the treatment and prevention side to combat the problems imposed by methamphetamine.
One 17-year-old girl currently in treatment at Phoenix House attested to the prevalence of methamphetamine among California teens. She said, “The use of crystal meth among girls my age is overwhelming, it is definitely more prevalent in certain areas but overall I was shocked by how many young people were getting into using meth. The first time I used meth was the first time I had ever heard of it and I came to realize that it is a huge trend among teenagers; especially girls. A lot of my friends referred to it as the cheaper way to do cocaine because it lasts longer and is much less expensive.”
At Phoenix House, we operate several programs, inpatient and outpatient, that are especially devoted to teens. Our signature residential model for teens, the Phoenix Academy, has been proven effective by the RAND Corporation and was recently named a model program by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice. We know, however, that there is a severe shortage of treatment for teens throughout the country. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports of the more than one million teens between 12 and 17 requiring substance abuse treatment in any given year, only one in ten actually gets it.
We are fortunate that in California, the situation is not quite so stark. San Diego County continues to support treatment services for many adolescents. But more can be done to bring services to every California teen that needs them. Treatment will remain a critical part of the solution to the growing epidemic of methamphetamine abuse. The more resources we are able to devote to it, the better we will be able to help those teens who succumb to dangerous addictive drugs.
It is important to note that treatment for methamphetamine addiction need not be fundamentally different than treatment for other commonly abused drugs although teens who abuse methamphetamine often require more intense, long-term treatment. The underlying causes of addiction and the proven treatment methods really are the same regardless of the drug in question. What is needed is an expansion of treatment services for adolescents in all regions across California.
I agree that the growth of methamphetamine drug abuse represents a serious problem requiring increased attention and concerted efforts on both the supply and demand sides. The responsibility for tackling this problem is ultimately shared by parents; teachers; school administrators; family members; local, state and federal government; and the substance abuse prevention and treatment providers in the community. As you develop a more comprehensive approach to the problem, I would urge you to devote the necessary resources to substance abuse treatment for our youth.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify today.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Media Contact:
Linda O'Hanlon
818-386-1916
ohanlon@straightlinecomm.com
|
Printer-Friendly Format