Task Force gives update on drug use, issues in school-sponsored presentation

Some people who attended a presentation at Havre High School Tuesday by Tri-Agency Task Force Supervisor C.J. Reichelt on recent trends in illegal drugs and the impact they have on the Havre community said he gave valuable information. 

"I came in today thinking about the kids in our school that have drug problems, and I walked out thinking about the kids that are affected by someone's drug problems," Havre High School Vice Principal Pax Haslem said.

The presentation by Reichelt was sponsored by the school district for faculty, staff, administration and the general public.

The presentation included reviewing a number of the drugs which are impacting the local area, such as methamphetamine, marijuana and opioids. Reichelt said the drugs impact everyone in the community. Educators work with and see students on a regular basis and need to know what to look for and what to do when a drug issue arises in the schools.

He added that teachers who suspect drug use or possession should also first go to the school administrators because the administrators are trained to deal with the issue in a school environment. He said that if the teacher were to call the task force or the police department they would have to get search warrants and or request the student's permission to search them for illegal substances. 

Reichelt said that in 2018 the task force had a total of 191 cases and 111 arrests in its multi-county jurisdiction. The task force also seized 5.8 pounds of meth, 9.8 pounds of marijuana, 153.25 pills, 38.5 grams of hash, 38.2 grams of heroin, 0.95 grams of fentanyl, 19 doses of molly - a stronger form of ecstacy - 19.9 grams of mushrooms, 67 grams of synthetic marijuana, 80 hits of LSD and 0.1 gram of cocaine.

He added that youths ages 15 to 20 in this area have been known commonly to use marijuana, pills, molly, LSD, mushrooms and cocaine.

Teachers have the most experience with the students on a daily basis. It is important for them to be educated so they can educate their students to be wary of illegal substances. As well as know what to look for when it comes to illegal substances, he said.

Havre Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Craig Mueller said what impacted him the most about Reichelt's presentation was his ability to convey his experience to the community. Rather than giving a general overview on why drugs are bad, he had a sense of what is happening in the community. He said that the last time they had Reichelt present was two years ago and he was interested in how much had changed since then.

"If we are going to keep talking about ways we can combat substance abuse and misuse in our community, we have to be informed of what those substances are," Mueller said.

Havre High School health enhancement teacher Ryan Gatch said he has similar presentations which he gives to his students during the school year, but it is always good to get a refresher. He added that getting an update of what is out in the community better helps him educate his students on the dangers of drugs.

He said he is also excited to incorporate Havre Police Department and other agencies into his curriculum this year. 

"To know what our students are dealing with on an everyday basis, that's the biggest thing," he said. "Our backgrounds are all different, everybody's got a very diverse background. Our students, when they chose to be around this type of drugs and alcohol and things like that, that's what they chose to do, but it's how we can help them. So having more information on how they are doing it and where they are getting it from is good for us to help them get better."

Haslem said, in his experience, the biggest thing schools are seeing is marijuana and the use of pills. He added that he thought the presentation was important for teachers to see because they need to be aware that schools are their own communities, their own world. Teachers need to know what is happening outside of the schools to understand what is impacting the schools, such as how illegal substances are being brought into the community.

He said he was unaware of the amount of drugs that could be passing through Amtrak and most of the drugs students are using are not even from the area.

The task force has had a few instances where they were able to seize a large amount of illegal substances through Amtrak, Reichelt said. In most cases passengers would purchase legal marijuana and edibles in Washington and transport them to other states. He said detectives on board the train and Amtrak employees have been able to uncover numerous pounds of illegal substances on board. 

Gatch said we always suspected that the train was a heavy mover of drugs, but after hearing the presentation it showed the impact it can have on the community. 

"But now to actually see that and to have it pinpointed by the drug task force, that's a real good thing to give validity to the thought process," he added.

He said he was also unaware of all the different smuggling containers available, such as fake soda cans, fake water bottles and a number of other household items which have secret compartments for drugs to be hidden.

Haslem said he was also unaware of the different smuggling techniques, and he will be more vigilant in the coming school year.

Havre High School Spanish teacher Diana Coy said it is interesting how different drug culture has become. She added that it makes it hard for an educator to know exactly what to do, with all the different ways to hide drugs unless the issue is directly in front of them. 

"Stuff is so new from when I was a kid; it's all different," she said.

Haslem said it was also informative to see how the students are affected by drugs. Even if the student themselves are not using, having a parent or family member who is an addict can still have detrimental effects. Not only with increasing the chance they may use, but the health risks they face.

He said he has seen a number of other presentations before, but what stood out to him in Reichelt's was how there is another level of a felony charge for adult drug usage affecting a minor, he said. He added that students who may be doing poorly or are struggling in school could have a lot of different things going on around them that the educator is unaware of. Moving forward, he said, he hopes to take a new perspective to his students.