Perhaps you noticed an ad which ran in the Tribune around Halloween. The photo was of a young woman &045; she looks very young &045; crouched in a corner, dark circles under her eyes, skin full of scabs, hair disheveled. The big print asks &uot;Does this spook you? This is what meth does … and it’s right here in Freeborn County. Now that’s really scary.&uot;

The Meth Equals Death Community Impact Project Committee meets to develop strategies to reduce the presence of meth in Albert Lea. Members include representatives from law enforcement, city and county government, the school, the religious community, chemical dependency programs, healthcare, communications industry, and so many more.

The purpose of this broad base of participants is two-fold: first is to educate each group on the effects of meth on members of their communities; and second, to prevent meth use in Albert Lea and Freeborn County.

Being able to identify meth users, their environments, the symptoms associated with usage, is perhaps the first step in

the fight against this fatal addiction: and make no mistake, meth shortens the life of the user as well as others. Ask police officers and sheriffs deputies the devastation caused by this drug. Also ask them about the cost to society, both the financial and intangible costs.

Accepting a zero tolerance policy toward the manufacture and use of meth may very well save our society from itself. Take the time to learn about meth, its effect on individuals &045; from the users to their families to the community in general; learn how to spot a potential meth lab, a person under the influence of the drug, and how to help law enforcement close these labs down in our city and our county.

This fight won’t be easy to win

but for the health of our citizens and our communities, it is one we must conquer.