Tim Fox for Attorney General 2008
Winning the War on Drugs in Montana
Six years ago a study conducted by a drug task force cited Montana’s youth as having the 2nd highest rate of illicit-drug use in America. The study concluded Montana’s effort to combat the drug trafficking and abuse problem lacked leadership, was fragmented, and was the victim of insufficient and unstable funding. Since then we’ve had some successes, but more must be done.
There is no doubt that the Montana Meth Project has made major progress in eradicating methamphetamine use in Montana. I am committed to building on that progress with the ultimate goal of eradicating meth use in this state. This commitment includes securing the State’s $2 million share of the Montana Meth Project partnership costs from the Legislature for the next biennium.
Shock-type advertising to combat one illicit drug, however, does not constitute a comprehensive drug trafficking and abuse-prevention plan. As meth use has plummeted, law enforcement reports that problems with other drugs, such as cocaine, prescription drugs, and marijuana are on the rise as Montanans look for other ways to feed drug habits.
One of my top priorities is to make sure future efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse are coordinated. The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA), neighboring states, and Federal, State, Tribal and local law enforcement all have a stake in combating drugs in Montana, but the best results are achieved only when they’re all working together. I think it’s imperative we have a strong Attorney General as Montana’s chief law enforcement officer to be a catalyst to develop a comprehensive Montana drug threat assessment and strategy of attack.
We can do more to break down agency-communication barriers and enhance information sharing so law enforcement at all levels can work more efficiently. We also need to make sure the Department of Justice has open lines of communication with Montana courts, the Department of Corrections, and drug abuse treatment providers to ensure the proper balance of prevention, education, prosecution, incarceration, and treatment services.
We also need to be looking for innovative ways to mitigate the tremendous damage that substance abuse wreaks on families. The Yellowstone County Family Drug Treatment Court (YCFDTC) is a great example of how we can help individuals with substance abuse problems build life skills and improve family conditions through a drug treatment program. The YCFDTC has charted new territory in Montana and the results are very positive: program participants have fewer relapses and lower chances of parental rights termination.
I’m also an advocate for stable and sufficient funding for Montana’s seven regional drug task forces and local law enforcement so they have the tools and personnel necessary to combat drug trafficking. Recent cuts in Federal funding for drug task forces have strapped local agencies as they scramble to fill the void with local money. We deserve an Attorney General who will personally lobby Congress for restoration of Federal grant program funding, while working to begin building State and local funding sources immune from Federal financing uncertainties.
Prescription Drug Abuse
More Montanans died from prescription overdoses last year than from any other drug, legal or illegal. One of my top priorities is to achieve consensus so we can implement a prescription drug monitoring program in Montana that satisfies all concerns. Any monitoring legislation must protect Montanans’ privacy rights, maintain the ability of legitimate pain sufferers to obtain needed medicines, and must not place an inordinate burden on pharmacies in rural areas.
My prescription drug abuse plan also calls for cracking down on illegal Internet prescription drug sales and a program to facilitate the safe incineration of unwanted or expired medication. Prescription drug abuse is an emerging front in Montana’s war on drugs, and it deserves the same type of attention as street drugs.
Click here to read more about my plans to fight prescription drug abuse.