Gila County Meth Coalition Sponsors Movie Night  | “We had a great turn-out and felt it was a huge success,” stated Claudia DalMolin, Chair of the Gila County Meth Coalition. There were 632 people in attendance for the special showing of “Spider Wick Chronicles”, on Friday night May 2nd. This special presentation was made possible through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Youth and Families Meth Initiative. Everyone who came out for this event received free admission and a trip to the snack bar where they received a hot dog, soda and popcorn. The Gila County Meth Coalition, under the umbrella of Sheriff John R. Armer and the Gila County Sheriff's Office, is made up of a consortium of dedicated agencies that have joined together to fight the spread of Meth in our communities. Substance abuse, both alcohol and drugs, but specifically Meth, have reached epidemic proportions in this country, this state and this county (Gila). The Coalition believes that educating the public on the dangers of Meth is paramount to identifying its use among our youth. Of course, young people aren’t the only ones using and abusing. The attraction of Meth seems to cross all age, economic and ethnic categories creating a multitude of community health problems and increasing crime rates to crisis levels and in the process draining local resources. |
By participating in community based activities and projects, the Meth Coalition is focused on alerting the public to the dangers of Meth. In addition, the coalition is always looking to generate partnerships with those organizations sharing the same goals. Public forums are available in both Globe and Payson each spring and fall.
The Gila County Drug, Gang and Violent Crimes Task Force in conjunction with the Meth Coalition have developed a Meth Awareness Class, which they will present on request to any business, school, organization or group. Recognizing that Meth was becoming a major problem in Arizona, and reaching crisis proportions, in 2005, Governor Janet Napolitano, through a Governor’s initiative, encouraged counties to get involved in the fight against Meth by providing state funding for accredited activities. The funding was provided through a grant from the Arizona Children, Youth and Families Division to assist and encourage local agencies to get organized. The goal of the Gila County Meth Coalition is to eradicate the production of Meth and eliminate its use and attractiveness. However, there are many subjects ‘out there’ who need assistance in getting off the drugs and staying off them. The Meth Coalition has recently partnered with Community Bridges, a medical detoxification facility newly locating and opening their doors in Globe and Payson. Their objective is to provide a comprehensive treatment and lifestyle change, set in a hospital type environment, to help clients defeat their drug and/or alcohol addictions. Marty the "Meth is Death" Beaver made a special appearance welcoming the kids to this special event. Marty and Ryan Johnson | Left to right: Zoe Linder, Sarah Gough, Jacob Linder and Emily Gough |
The Gila County Meth Coalition Team Deputy Dennis Newman and Zelma, Chris Magana, Lu DuBois, Misty Allinson, Claudia DalMolin, Marty, Bianca DalMolin, Peggy Huggins, Sgt Travis Baxley and Maylo |