An upcoming Methamphetamine Awareness Program hosted by Anoka-Ramsey Community College’s Cambridge Campus seeks to help slow the spread of this devastating drug. The event, scheduled for 7 p.m., Thursday, May 5, is co-sponsored by a subcommittee of local Blandin Foundation Leadership participants and the Isanti County Methamphetamine Initiative.

The toll of methamphetamine (meth) abuse in Minnesota is tough to gauge, but state law enforcement officials say that meth is now the drug of choice in rural Minnesota because it's easy to get and easy to make. More shocking, the users of this highly addictive drug today are more often young, school-aged kids. A recent study by the Hazelden Foundation has found that meth use among teens in the Twin Cities area is rising. A further toll is exacted on the children of those who make and use the drug. These children suffer neglect and lasting health effects caused by regular exposure to highly caustic chemicals.

The Meth Awareness Program will be presented by Paul Stevens of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Open to the public, this free event will be held in the Cambridge Campus Center Food Court. For more information, contact Anoka-Ramsey Community College Cambridge Campus at 763-689-7000.