Methamphetamine Treatment in Short Supply in Oklahoma

Treatment slots for methamphetamine addiction in Oklahoma are in short supply, according to Terri White, the state’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse Commissioner.

There are 95 fewer in-patient substance abuse treatment beds in the state compared with 2009, the Tulsa World reports. White says people on a waiting list for treatment often end up addicted, in jail or dead before they can be helped. She notes there are not enough outpatient treatment slots.

The state Mental Health Department has requested $4.5 million to return the lost in-patient treatment slots, and an additional $105 million for a “Smart on Crime” initiative, much of it for substance abuse treatment programs.

The state is trying to disrupt the supply of methamphetamine, through pending legislation that would require a prescription to buy pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth manufacturing. Another proposed measure would broaden Oklahoma’s electronic pseudoephedrine sales monitoring network to include neighboring states.