The meeting of the Congressional chartered task force took place in Washington, DC with participation by co-chairs Attorney General Janet Reno and Barry McCaffrey, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

In beginning his remarks, Coles reflected on his initiation in the fight against drugs when, as a new mayor, he saw methamphetamine (meth) hit his city. In 1994, two meth labs were busted in Boise. Then in 1995, 17 meth labs were busted in the city. Mayor Coles now estimates that in 1999, an average of one meth lab per week will be busted in Boise.

The problem in Boise and communities across the nation has continued to grow partially due to the fact that the precursors to meth can be purchased legally across the nation, and also due to the importation of mass quantities of precursor chemicals from Mexico with the intent to process meth in America.

But in explaining the more personal nature of the problem, Coles told the story of an 11 year old boy who got sick due to a meth lab being operated by his mother in a residential property, and the family tragedy which incurred when the boy was brave enough to report on his mother's activities. Mayor Coles expressed great anger that "early warning" systems did not exist or were not used to identify this problem before an 11 year old child had to step up and take action. "Mayors take drug abuse personally," Coles stressed to the gathered officials.

To help address this problem, Mayor Coles outlined his strategy in Boise which includes prevention, law enforcement and treatment, and is focused on both youth and adults. As Mayor Coles stressed, "parents must serve as a positive example to our children."

Specifically, Idaho state law was changed to allow for the prosecution of persons in possession of mass quantities of meth precursor chemicals with the intent to process meth.

And in Boise, a new local ordinance is under consideration to encourage private sector involvement in the fight against meth. Under the ordinance, if a meth lab is busted in a residential or commercial property, the entire complex will be immediately subject to comprehensive city health and safety inspection. However, if a property owner contacts the police to notify them of a possible meth lab on the premises, the comprehensive inspection will not be mandated. To help make this program a success, landlords will receive education and training by the city on how to spot signs that a meth lab may be operating on their premises.

In fighting the spread of illegal drugs in his city, Mayor Coles quickly learned that law enforcement efforts alone were not enough: what was needed was an all- out effort to reduce demand and provide treatment.

Mayor Coles organized a community outreach and prevention effort called "Enough is Enough" which pulled together all sectors of the community, and then 200 cities across the State of Idaho, into mass anti-drug meetings and rallies during which an honest and frank discussion of drug use and its effects took place.

Mayor Coles also enlisted his local chamber of commerce to help fight the problem of drug use in the workplace, and is working with Thomas Donohue, head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to help in this effort across the country.

Working at the state level, legislation was adopted which will now allow companies to negotiate lower worker compensation rates in exchange for adopting drug free workplace policies.

Mayor Coles said that the intent of this effort is not to punish individuals, but rather to encourage the provision of treatment - which is cost effective for employers. To that end, Mayor Coles also said that the issue of health insurance parity for drug addiction needs to be considered.

Conference of Mayors to Host National Meth Conference: January 26, 2000

The U.S. Conference of Mayors will host a national conference on methamphetamine on the front end of its 68th Winter Meeting. The meth conference will be held on Wednesday January 26, 2000 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC.

Mayor Coles has championed the need for this special conference to focus on the rapidly emerging issue of meth in America, discuss the unique needs of smaller and mid-sized communities to deal with the crisis, and develop prevention, treatment and interdiction strategies for meth which can then be applied to cities of all sizes as the methamphetamine crisis spreads across the nation. Mayor Coles co-chairs the Conference of Mayors Drug Control Task Force along with Mayor Scott King of Gary.

Mayor Coles hosted a major planning meeting in Boise on May 17-18, 1999 at which federal, state and local experts helped develop a research and implementation agenda related to meth.

In discussing the need for this effort, Mayor Coles has said, "for the first time, America is faced with a drug problem that is moving from smaller, more rural communities to the bigger cities." Mayor Coles has stressed that this effort can help develop strategies for dealing with meth that will benefit cities of all sizes.

Meth is also unique in that it is being produced in America in small, clandestine labs which pose a serious environmental threat to local communities.

The Conference of Mayors is working on this initiative with the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), led by Joseph A. Califano, Jr. CASA is helping to develop a national report on drug addiction in mid-sized cities and rural communities, with a particular focus on the emerging issue of meth. The report will be released at the January 26 conference by Mr. Califano and the Conference of Mayors.

Registration information for the special methamphetamine conference and the 68th Winter Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors can be obtained by contacting Carol Edwards at (202) 293-7330.