Methamphetamine Prevention
About Methamphetamine in Indian Country
Methamphetamine use is just one of the many health disparities experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. AI/AN teenagers, young people, and middle-aged adults have the highest rate of methamphetamine use and associated trauma found in the U.S. AI/AN communities suffer from an increased rate of violent crimes due to methamphetamine. There is an increasing burden on law enforcement officers and courts due to drug crimes and an increased need for foster care placement for children displaced from their homes as a result of parental substance abuse, neglect, and arrests.
Due to the rapid spread of methamphetamine use, there have been no evidenced-based "best practice" models documented in Indian Country.
What is the Indian Country Methamphetamine Initiative?
In a direct response to the Secretary’s 2006 HHS National and Regional Tribal Consultations sessions, SAMHSA, in partnership with the Office of Minority Health initiated the Indian Country Methamphetamine Initiative (ICMI) to develop a holistic approach of prevention, intervention, treatment, and re-entry that would address the public health and public safety impacts of methamphetamine.
ICMI uses a multi-pronged approach to build capacity to effectively address substance use and mental health disorders and the related community harms, strengthen collaborations of different programs in tribal communities whose populations are impacted by meth, and identify and document best practices in Indian Country for prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery strategies for safe and healthy AI/AN Communities.
In this effort, ICMI partnership acts as a support to the tribal partners, enhancing their ability and capacity to address methamphetamine at the community level.
Methamphetamine Resources
Information on Methamphetamines and Resources
Medline Plus: National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/methamphetamine.html
Meth Resources.gov
http://www.methresources.gov/
SAMHSA Meth Resources
http://www.samhsa.gov/Spotlights/MethAwareness/publications.aspx
http://www.samhsa.gov/Spotlights/MethAwareness/webcasts.aspx
Information on Methamphetamine in Indian Country
Presentations and information on the SAMHSA Policy Academy on Co-Occurring
Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders in Phoenix, Arizona, September 11-13, 2007
http://www.crpcorp.info/CPA4_intro.htm
Organizations Addressing Methamphetamine Use
National Congress of American Indians Meth Initiative
http://www.ncai.org/meth/
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America Methamphetamine Page
http://www.methresources.dreamhosters.com/wp/
Media About Methamphetamine
Documentaries and Radio PSAs from a Navajo Nation Filmmaker
http://www.sheepheadfilms.com/