Out View: Rocky Boy anti-drug effort is essential

Educators and civic leaders at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation have long been concerned with the use of methamphetamine on the reservation.

After a publicized effort to reduce meth use, it appeared that progress was being made in encouraging people not to use the deathly drug.

Maybe that was the case, but meth seems to be making a rebound. Community leaders believe that more people, especially young people, are abusing the drug.

And folks who are experts in the problem agree that meth abuse is not limited to the reservation. More people along the Hi-Line and elsewhere in Montana are abusing the drug and becoming addicted to it.

Scientists believe that long-term use of meth can cause serious brain injuries.

It’s been encouraging to see the reaction of Rocky Boy residents. They are upset because their friends, relatives and neighbors become victims of the meth epidemic and they are doing something about it.

Last year, a series of demonstrations on the streets in Rocky Boy villages showed the frustration and the determination of reservation residents.

People who deal in meth and other drugs are unlikely to pull up roots and scamper off into never-never land when they see protesters objecting to their evil deeds, but they will hopefully get the message that the days of unfettered drug sales are over.

It’s encouraging that some alleged drug dealers have been busted on or near the reservation recently.

More encouragingly, Tuesday, concerned Rocky Boy residents will gather to discuss what concrete actions they can take to fight drug abuse.

Individually, there is little people can do to stop the epidemic. Working together, though, there is little that cannot be done.

We hope neighboring communities will join in the effort with the concerned Rocky Boy residents. There is no 10-foot wall surrounding the reservation that keeps the meth problem confined to Rocky Boy.

Besides, the drugs are not home-grown at Rocky Boy, they came from the outside.

While there is a growing debate on decriminalization or legalization of marijuana, there is no doubt that substances such as meth and similar drugs are dangerous and ought to be banned,

Problems of poverty and a sense of hopelessness are blamed for causing people to abuse drugs. The organizers of the Rocky Boy effort have the task of convincing people that drug abuse is the worst way to combat these problems.

The folks getting together Tuesday at noon at Stone Child College’s Vo-Tech Center have an uphill fight on their hands. We congratulate them on their effort and wish them the best of luck.