Heartland Task Force

Why is the Heartland Task Force Needed in Adair County?

The Problem:
Missouri has the highest rate of methamphetamine trafficking in the country. In 2004, 2,788 meth labs seized made Missouri the number one state for lab seizures. .Adair County is home to several at-risk target populations identified by the Federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment including: economically disadvantaged, school dropouts, youth victims of abuse, and homeless/runaway youth. Over 40% of high school dropouts in Adair County are because of methamphetamine related issues, and according to Kirksville Police Department, methamphetamine is also the greatest cause of crime in Adair County. Clearly, methamphetamine abuse has significantly impacted the overall health of all residents of Adair County, and needs to be stopped before the problem becomes out of control.

The Mission:
The mission of the Heartland Task Force (HTF) is “to guide Adair County youth and families to achieve their highest potential by reducing substance abuse using a comprehensive, long-term, and collaborative multi-sector approach.” It is believed that peer pressure is the primary reason for substance abuse in elementary and high schools in Adair County. The HTF strives to reduce peer pressure in these schools through prevention programming. If the youth are educated early then they will be more inclined to make the right decision about drug abuse.

The Vision:
Education of youth, however, is only half the battle to a drug-free Adair County. The vision of the HTF is “to reduce substance abuse among youth and over time among adults through increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors in our community.” In addition to education, the HTF’s primary objective is to eliminate the availability of illegal substances in Adair County. Meth labs, specifically, are a serious threat and have been a primary target of the HTF. In 2004 a grant was written by Dr. Carol Cox which provided almost $100,000 for substance abuse prevention in Adair County. This significant increase in funding allowed the Kirksville Police Department to pay overtime for officers to stop a greater number of vehicles leaving Kirksville to catch offenders, as well as significantly improve drug testing equipment. However, this grant was a matching grant where organizations within Adair County needed to raise $100,000 to receive that grant money. This grant was not maintained because the HTF simply did not have the manpower to maintain the effort of raising those funds every year.

The Organization:
The Heartland Task Force consists of professors, students, business owners, and a variety of other concerned community members who are all striving for a safer and drug free community. Anyone can join and make a difference in this organization, so please contact Matt Holt at (660)665-4224.



References
Gasch, J (2004, November, 4). Grant to Reduce Meth Use. Truman Index, Retrieved February 16.2009, from http://index.truman.edu/pdf/2004-2005/November4/Page%208.pdf

Hogan, Colleen (2009, February 12). Missouri still number one for meth. Retrieved February 15, 2009, from Connect MidMissouri.com Web site: http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=259548