DEWITT COUNTY GETS GRANT FOR ANTI-METH EDUCATION MATERIAL

CLINTON -- The fight against methamphetamine use in DeWitt County will get
a boost from a grant through the University of Illinois and DeWitt County
Human Resource Center.

"Being in a rural county, it's sometimes very difficult to find grant money
for meth abuse because much of that is targeted for the urban areas," said
Helen Michelassi, prevention program manager at HRC.

"We haven't been able to do much with meth abuse education because of that,
and we feel very fortunate that we are going to be able to do work on that."

The grant is for $5,790 and will be used on billboards and anti-meth
education material. Both youth and parents will be targeted through the
education materials, said Teen Reach program director Tina Baxter.

"We will be sending out information packets to help identify
methamphetamines so people can identify the warning signs of those who
might be using," she said.

Jeanna Salsman, a member of the Coalition for Brighter Futures, a DeWitt
County group formed to fight drug abuse, will guide the campaign. She says
the Clinton School District will be involved.

"Once we get the proper approval, we will disseminate the information
through the school system and send the information to the students as well
as the teachers," she said.

Michelassi said methamphetamine use poses a threat to DeWitt County.

"We talked with law enforcement officials and we haven't seen any spike in
recent months or anything like that, but we want to stay on top of it and
make sure that doesn't happen," she said.

"Prevention is always the key. We would rather be ahead of the game, than
behind."

Meth is a highly addictive, powerful nervous system stimulant that can be
"cooked" cheaply using a variety of easily available ingredients.