"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Anti-Methamphetamine Coalition

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA – The manufacture, trafficking and use of methamphetamine continues to be a major concern for law enforcement and public health officials within the Cherokee Nation.

In response, tribal officials have formed the CN Anti-Methamphetamine Coalition, which consists of representatives from health, social and community services, as well as the Housing Authority and Marshal Service. This task force recently received two grants to study the methamphetamine problem and recommended strategies for curbing the meth epidemic in Cherokee communities.

“We are gathering data that will tell us for sure how bad the meth problem is within the Cherokee Nation,” B.J. Boyd, deputy director of Cherokee Nation Behavioral Health and CNAMC team leader said. “It’s not just one program trying to solve this themselves. We’re all working together to get the best outcome we can. I think that’s partially why we got the grants. We were able to show the federal government we’re serious about this, and we really have come together as an Indian nation and are working together.”

A $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will double the drug and alcohol prevention programs operated by the tribe and determine what impact drug programs are having on Cherokee communities. A second $1 million grant will go toward meth prevention programs and fund two new prevention specialists to educate the public about meth.

The CNAMC’s immediate goals are to continue to assist communities and complete data collection efforts to see what anti-drug programs are working and what needs to be adjusted. Boyd said the data would be shared with other area communities and agencies. So far, the coalition has determined that the number of labs in the Cherokee Nation has decreased but the drug is being trafficked from outside because people still want the drug, Boyd said.

“The worst affect of meth is children being removed from homes where parents are cooking or using methamphetamine. It’s hard to get those families back together again. It impacts the family and ultimately impacts the community,” he said.

Boyd said recent studies are also showing newer treatments for meth are effective, which includes the user going into an inpatient facility to get the drugs out of their system. The patient then continues with outpatient treatment, including behavioral health assistance, to completely rid them of the drug dependence.

“Several communities have stepped up and said we want to create our own anti-drug organization,” Boyd said. “It’s a huge step forward that we have Cherokee people wanting to do things to help their communities because it’s not just a problem for Cherokee people, but for all people in the area.”

The mission of the Cherokee Nation Anti-Methamphetamine Coalition is to reduce the use of methamphetamine and other drugs of abuse in the Cherokee Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area through support of sustainable, local community anti-drug coalitions and building Cherokee Nation’s capacity to support safe, drug-free Cherokee communities.