Combating Methamphetamine Abuse, a new fact sheet from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), describes resources available to communities to address meth abuse, including prevention and education programs. It also discusses support for enforcement efforts, such as investigative strategies and state and local drug task forces.

Some key points of the fact sheet reveal that the number of methamphetamine laboratory seizures in the United States decreased each year from 2004 through 2007; however, preliminary 2008 data and reporting indicate that domestic methamphetamine production is increasing in some areas of the country. Methamphetamine addiction is treatable, and problem-solving initiatives, such as drug courts and innovative reentry programs, can help communities stop the cycle of abuse. Resources and information must be made available to protect the most vulnerable victims of meth abuse—children. A new resource makes information available to communities, parents, and teens through a partnership between first responders and prevention professionals. The most effective strategies to fight methamphetamine abuse are comprehensive and collaborative ones—those that include prevention, education, treatment, and enforcement. BJA offers strategies and programs to assist states and local and tribal communities in developing comprehensive approaches to combat meth abuse. Access the National Criminal Justice Reference Service’s website at http://www.ncjrs.gov for a copy of the fact sheet (FS 000318).