Oct 29, 2005 - 06:01:40 CDT
It is no secret that methamphetamine is a problem in even the smallest communities in the United States. For Hasan Davis, it is a problem that can't be ignored."Every state in the nation has a meth problem," Davis said.
With a new type of meth in the works in China, Davis said that now more than ever, Americans need to deal with the meth problems here.
Davis spoke Thursday to students at the University of Mary. Besides traveling the country giving talks at colleges, high schools and middle schools, Davis serves as vice president of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice. The committee advises the president and Congress on issues involving juveniles.
Davis is no stranger to the trouble juveniles face. As a teenager he was expelled from school and arrested several times. He eventually decided that wasn't the lifestyle he wanted to lead.
"I wanted to make sure I could be what I thought I should be," he said. "Not just a bit on the 11 o'clock news."
He earned his GED and attended Berea College in Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor's degree in oral communication. Davis went on to law school at the University of Kentucky.
Davis said new forms of meth were discussed at the last meeting of the FACJJ. Davis and other committee members are particularly concerned with a new type of meth being manufactured in China.
Davis said although the Chinese meth poses a future risk for Americans, what people in the United States should be most worried about is the current meth problem.
"We really need to address the problems we have now so if and when we are faced with this we can do what we need to in order to keep it from becoming a catastrophic event," Davis said.
Little is known about the Chinese meth, but Davis said the FACJJ is researching it. There is evidence that meth manufacturers have found ways to make meth into a candy-coated pill.
"It probably isn't in the United States already, but with the global economy and global market, who knows how long we have before it makes it over here," Davis said.
He said he is worried about the reaction information about the new drug will cause.
"New information like this often gives people a lot of anxiety about things and causes them to not deal with the problems we already have," Davis said. "Knowing about this new meth should make us more diligent about the work we need to do now."
He said that one way people can start attacking the meth problem is to let young people know they are cared about and believed in.
"Meth use begins because of poverty," Davis said. "But it's not just about money. People turn to meth because of spiritual or emotional poverty."
Davis said many people become involved in meth use because they feel alone or that they have no value.
He also encourages parents to be critical of their own children.
"Don't just say 'my kid wouldn't do that.' Communicate, let them know they are valued and doing meth will stop them from achieving their goals," he said.
Davis said some initiatives, such as anti-drug programs for children and legislation to make buying pseudoephedrine more difficult, have helped, but are not enough.
"We did one thing, so we think it should all be better," he said. "But that's not the case."
One reason meth use is on the rise is people can make it anywhere and sell it for much more than the supplies cost. Davis said for about $100 worth of supplies, someone can make up to $2,000 worth of meth. He said that while this doesn't allow manufacturers to get rich off meth sales, it does provide enough for them to support their habits.
"Meth is a real silent storm," Davis said. "It's so mobile and varies in how people make it, which is why it is so hard to get to the core of the problem."
Davis said the most important thing people can do is take action now before meth use gets even further out of hand.
"We've grown into such a reactionary culture that we wait for something terrible to happen before we take action," he said. "Everyone needs to learn they have a responsibility to their community and that responsibility includes not doing drugs."
(Reach reporter Katie Brown at 250-8225 or katie.brown@;bismarcktribune.com.)
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