¨       More than 12 million Americans have tried meth, and 1.5 million are regular users.

¨       The National Drug Intelligence Center has identified methamphetamine as a primary drug threat in Arizona. 

¨       Meth is a highly addictive drug that can be snorted, smoked, and injected.

¨       Meth can be made from easily obtainable household chemicals and cold medications.

¨       For each pound of meth manufactured, five pounds of toxic waste are left behind.

¨       40% of child-welfare officials report and increase in out-of-home placements due to meth use by parents.

¨       The percentage of eighth grade students using stimulants (meth) is 218% higher in Pinal County than is found statewide.

¨       The percentage of Pinal County sophomores using meth is 36% higher, and percentage of seniors 50% higher than is found statewide.

¨       The amount of methamphetamine seized by the Pinal County Narcotics Task Force    doubled from 2001 to 2002.

¨       One out of four high school students report being drunk or high at school in the last year.

¨       One in four 8^th grade students used some sort of drug in the past 30 days.

¨       Casa Grande high school students’ use of methamphetamine is twice as high as     students across the state.

¨       Casa Grande middle school student’s use of meth is 325% higher than 8^th graders across Arizona (6.8% compared to 1.6%).

¨       Casa Grande Police Department reports that at least 50% of local crime and violence is directly related to the use of drugs, primarily methamphetamine.

¨       Rampant methamphetamine use has greatly reduced the available pool of drug-free job applicants and employees.

1.  Average age of initiation:

first alcohol sip or more - 13.4                     first regular alcohol use - 14.7

first cigarette use - 12.7                              first marijuana use - 13.9

2.  Synopsis of areas of concern (item numbers for reference only):

3.  Implications:

1.       Casa Grande students drink at about the same frequency as other kids.  Three out of four seniors have drunk alcohol in their lifetime, and nearly half drank in the previous month.

2.       Casa Grande students smoke marijuana more frequently than other kids, and one in four seniors used it in the previous month.

3.       Casa Grande students use inhalants at a much higher frequency than other students and sophomores use it almost twice as often as do other students their age (past 30 days).

4.       Overall, Casa Grande students use cocaine about as often as other kids their age, although 10^th graders used it at a rate 75% higher than their age-mates in the prior month.

5.       Casa Grande students use stimulants (including meth) at a much higher frequency than their age mates and twice as often as their peers in the past 30 days.

* The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission administered this survey to 10^th and 12^th grade students across the state May of 2004.