ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue delivered the keynote address on Aug. 17 at the Methamphetamine and Georgia: Seeking Solutions summit, which was held at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta. The summit, hosted by the Governor and the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, was a two-day working session focused on discussing the issues of methamphetamine production and use. Attendees crafted a comprehensive strategy to address the problem at both the state and local level. The summit was facilitated by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC).

“The rise in manufacturing and abuse of methamphetamine in our state over the last few years is a serious threat to Georgia families and Georgia communities,” said Governor Perdue.

“This pattern of meth-addicted parents showing absolute disregard for the lives of their own children is what disturbs me to the core about this plague. It is destroying families and killing children, and we have to do all in our power to put a stop to it,” added Governor Perdue.

Summit participants, worked with specially trained group facilitators, and were divided into teams representing their professional discipline on day one and their local team on day two. Participants came from key local, state, and federal sectors including law enforcement, prevention organizations, health and treatment services, criminal justice, child and family services, and first responders.

The first day of the summit focused on general state topics related to methamphetamine such as child welfare, education and prevention, law enforcement, and treatment. The groups identified problems, barriers, and solutions. Day two involved community planning by local teams, which utilized the same process to identify problems, barriers, and solutions for their specific community.

Federal agencies involved with the coordination and execution of the summit included the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration, National Crime Prevention Council, Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Community Oriented Policing Services (U.S. Department of Justice), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

State agencies involved with the coordination and execution of the summit included the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and the Georgia National Guard.