05/03/2006 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

               CSHCR  4(JUD) -METH WATCH PROGRAM                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR THERRIAULT announced HCR 4 to be up for consideration.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:06:17 PM                                                                                                                    
EMILY STANCLIFF,  Staff to  Representative Jay  Ramras, explained                                                               
that HCR  4 is the  first national effort  to curb the  spread of                                                               
methamphetamine use across the  state through increased awareness                                                               
of the dangers associated with its use.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
The goal of  the program is to engage  retailers, law enforcement                                                               
and  other  partners to  reduce  precursor  products for  illicit                                                               
manufacture of methamphetamine,  to increase community awareness,                                                               
and to assist local communities in addressing problems.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  THERRIAULT noted  that the  Division of  Behavioral Health                                                               
has indicated  the it has  sufficient funding for the  program so                                                               
the resolution  is actually asking  for coordination  of existing                                                               
activities under the umbrella of the Meth Watch Program.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:09:26 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE JAY  RAMRAS, sponsor  of HCR  4, advised  that the                                                               
tri-group of mayors from Anchorage,  MatSu, and Kenai have raised                                                               
about $200,000 for  a Meth Watch Program and  the Fairbanks mayor                                                               
has  committed $20,000.  Currently  he is  personally working  to                                                               
secure  $100,000 from  the House  Finance  Committee and  Senator                                                               
Murkowski is working in Washington D.C.  to secure some of the $5                                                               
million  to $12  million  that is  earmarked for  methamphetamine                                                               
education programs.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
The program is two pronged. The  first is to educate children and                                                               
the second is  to educate retailers. Although  law enforcement is                                                               
a wonderful  dynamic, educating kids  to move away from  the drug                                                               
is the first step.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR THERRIAULT noted  that the Montana program  is hard hitting                                                               
and drives the point home.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WAGONER remarked there is no distribution list.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS  said Anchorage has identified  the man who                                                               
will run  the program and  the hope is  that the program  will be                                                               
fairly  distributed  across  the  state. He  noted  that  he  had                                                               
attended a  mock meth  lab project  last fall and  it was  a very                                                               
positive  dynamic  and  he hopes  the  process  will  proliferate                                                               
through both rural and urban Alaska.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WAGONER motioned  to report  CSHCR  4(JUD) and  attached                                                               
fiscal  note(s) from  committee with  individual recommendations.                                                               
There being no objection, it was so ordered.