“The drug problem is bigger than our local communities. Nearly every city in every state has had some tragedy or event occur that you can relate to drug use, more specifically Meth. Many times the news doesn’t publish that crimes, suicides, fires, etc… is due to people abusing drugs. Lets look at some of the history of Meth in MN;
- In MN, more than 325,000 people have used in the their life, ~ 20,000 use it regularly
- Cost of about $140 million to MN in 2004 (not including - health care, meth related crime, costs associated with juvenile offenders, costs not borne by public institutions, intangibles)
- 8,000 prison beds/800 treatment beds
- 2005 - meth drug cases accounted for nearly 40% of all drug charges around the state
- MN Corrections for Dental Care of inmates (meth-related)
- 2003 - $1.19 million
- 2004 - $2.06 million
- 2007: MN meth labs down 70-80% in large part to legislation passed in 2005. Meth use and crime NOT falling!
- Minnesota observed its highest numbers of meth production events in 2003 with more than 500 events. That number decreased to 320 events in 2004. For 2005 the number dropped even more to 110 reported meth production events.
- 85% of those events occurred before new legislation took place in July 2005
- 2005: Meth purity is estimated at 73.1% (2001 – 13.6%)
- 2004: Almost 50% of Minnesota meth labs have children present.
- 2004: Minnesota meth events (labs, dumpsites, ammonia thefts) = minimum of 320. This number is based on voluntary reporting. Actual number is estimated to be 2-3 times greater.
- 2004: Estimated 90-95% of meth labs are found through police action. 5% of meth labs are found by fire/explosions.
- From 2001 to 2004 in Minnesota the number of inmates serving time in penitentiaries for meth jumped 628 %
- 2003: More than 500 meth labs were seized statewide
- 2003: In many counties, 75-95% of all crime is now meth-related
- 2003: Minnesota meth busts totaled 425
- 2003: First METH Day at the Capital
- 2002: Minnesota meth busts totaled 214
- 2001: Olmstead county passes first lab cleanup ordinance
- 1999: Minnesota meth busts totaled 18
