Methamphetamine is bad news to a state that needs its young people to be productive. The problem is that treatment programs are short-term and it is hard to stop tweaking unlees a person has longer term treatment. Enter Sen. Tom Harkin.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is promoting new initiatives in the fight against methamphetamine.
Harkin introduced the Methamphetamine Abuse Treatment and Prevention Act (MATPA) in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, and was in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines to discuss his ideas with law enforcement and drug treatment professionals Saturday.
The premise of Harkin's bill is that every dollar spent on treatment and prevention of meth abuse will lead to a $7 savings in the end. His goal is to increase family- and jail-based treatment, and disassemble barriers to drug treatment for individuals.
``With proper treatment, meth addicts can recover and go on to lead productive lives,'' Harkin said Saturday to a group of around 15 drug treatment and law enforcement officials. He added that the problem with current treatment programs is that individuals often spend less than a month there, when four to six months minimum is necessary.
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