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Methamphetamine Abuse Among California Adolescents Alarmingly High

Phoenix House Supports Lawmakers on War Against California’s Number One Public Health Enemy: Methamphetamine

LOS ANGELES, CA, January 31, 2006 – Phoenix House joined the state’s leading substance abuse experts at a recent public hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Methamphetamine (meth) Abuse to talk about the growth of meth use among Californians and to support Senator Jackie Speier in her efforts to draw attention to California’s number one public health problem.

Senator Speier convened the hearing on January 18, 2006, along with Attorney General Bill Lockyer, to educate policymakers so they can identify options to deal with methamphetamine production, distribution, and use that have reached crisis proportions in California. Meth use is affecting the lives of more than 500,000 Californians and impacting every health and social welfare organization as well as law enforcement agencies statewide.

According to Kathryn Jett, Director of the California State Department of Alcohol and Drug Services, approximately 31% of people who entered into California drug treatment centers in 2003-2004 reported methamphetamine as their primary drug of choice, compared to 22% for alcohol and 16.5% for heroin. Law enforcement, the courts, health and child welfare agencies as well as treatment agencies have been overwhelmed by the demand for services.

“Methamphetamine is now the drug of choice in California, particularly among teens. It’s cheap, easy to get, and highly addictive,” says Phoenix House VP and Director of Public Policy Elizabeth Stanley Salazar.

Over 36 percent of California adolescents admitted into Phoenix House in 1995 reported amphetamines as their primary drug of choice, compared to 14.7 percent on a nationwide basis. While some of these admissions are for Ritalin, ecstasy or other drugs, the overwhelming majority are for meth, adds Salazar.

One teen resident at Phoenix House who shared his story of meth addiction at the hearing stated, “When I first tried crystal meth, I automatically fell in love. I had finally found the drug that I was looking for. The stuff was pretty cheap and it was very easy for me to get.”

“Even though adolescents are one of the highest risk groups, there is no system of care for them in California,” explains Salazar. “In fact the minimal funding that has been available from drug courts, the Crime Prevention Act (Shciff-Cardenas), and many pilot programs started with state general funds in the 90s has been cut or reduced dramatically at a time when a commitment to adolescent treatment is critical.”

Salazar says that her organization has been working closely with other providers and county administrators to initiate legislation that will expand treatment services. In 2004, Phoenix House hosted a conference that called for multi-disciplinary support of a system of care for adolescents. The recent hearing was another important step in accomplishing that objective. Other points presented at the hearing include: