Twin Cities see decline in meth addicts seeking treatment

by Lorna Benson, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — The Twin Cities has seen a decline in meth addicts seeking treatment, accoring to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The department says meth-related admissions dipped to about 6 percent of treatment center admissions in the first half of 2008. That's about half the rate for the same time period in 2005.

Carol Falkowski compiled the data. She says the good news doesn't stop with the lower admissions numbers.

"In addition to that a shrinking proportion of those are adolescents," Falkowski says. "And this is very encouraging because there was one point where meth use among adolescents in the Twin Cities exceeded meth use among adolescents nationally."

Patients under 18 accounted for 1 percent of meth-related admissions in the first half of last year. Five years ago that age group made up nearly 18 percent of admissions.

Falkowski says several influences have brought meth use down including community awareness, law enforcement pressure and a state law restricting the sale of pseudo-ephedrine which is used to make meth.

Meth cases represented about 1 in 20 metro area treatment admissions in the first half of last year. The decline continues a trend that has been occuring since meth treatment hit a high mark of about 1 in eight admission in 2005.