“The meth capital of the nation,” proclaimed Rolling Stone of Granite Falls a few years ago.
The revelation that a sleepy town in Snohomish County was a hotbed of methamphetamine production came as a shock to many, but in hindsight, may have been a blessing in disguise. It took something like getting Granite Falls – hardly capital of anything before – on the cover of Rolling Stone to wake up both citizens and law enforcement agencies to the dangers of meth, and the effort undertaken since then is beginning to produce results.
Stopping meth production takes a different strategy than other drugs. Since the chemicals needed to produce the drug can be found at any local hardware and drug store and labs can be set up in houses, apartments and motels, fighting meth takes an amount of cooperation between citizens and police. And both groups have taken steps to improve that cooperation.
Organizations like Meth Watch set out to educate the community, teaching residents how to spot a drug house in their neighborhood, informing businesses about the use of their products in drug production and telling people to report suspicious activity. As a result, meth busts have increased from last year and half of the arrest warrants police obtain for meth offenses contain information provided by community members.
Educating kids about the meth has also worked to stop its use. At this year’s Meth Summit held at the Everett Events Center, many jaws dropped as kids found out that meth is one of the most addictive drugs, that it disproportionately affects rural communities, and that kids as young as eleven have been addicted to the drug.
As with many problems, money alone isn’t going to do enough to stop the proliferation of meth throughout Snohomish County. This week’s new data showing the slight increase in meth busts is a testament to what can arise when a community wises up and fights back.
Snohomish County residents can’t afford to let their guard down when it comes to meth. These accomplishments are worthy of praise, but there is still much to be done if citizens want to rid the county of the scourge of meth.
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