ST. PAUL -- A treatment program broke Amanda of her methamphetamine addiction, and she hopes money from a special license plate can help others in her shoes.
"For most of two years, meth controlled my life," the 17-year-old Willmar girl said.
However, she added, treatment changed that. "I think it really, honestly saved my life," said the young woman, who did not give her last name.
Amanda attends a Litchfield school for recovering drug users and used a Minnesota Capitol news conference on Wednesday to support a western Minnesota lawmaker's proposal to raise meth treatment funds.
Rep. Dean Urdahl said up to 40,000 special car license plates are sold at $30 annually each to support natural resources programs, and he would hope for similar response to fight the fast-growing meth problem. Urdahl predicted the plates would raise $1 million to $2 million a year.
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Backing Urdahl, R-Grove City, were a former Supreme Court justice, police, recovering meth addicts and parents of meth users.
"The meth crisis is at the level where creating a special license plate to help fund treatment is fully justifiable," Urdahl said.
State law requires supporters of a proposed special plate to have $20,000 and 10,000 signatures on petition before one is created.
Urdahl would hold a competition to design the plate, emphasizing entries from students.
Minnesota already has two dozen special car plates. In comparison, there are half that many in North Dakota, and there has been no proposal similar to Urdahl's plan.
Jim Gilbert, a recently retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice, joined Urdahl for Wednesday's announcement.
"We cannot arrest ourselves out of the situation," Gilbert said, adding that increasing treatment availability is vital.
Besides helping meth addicts, treatment is better for taxpayers, the former justice said. Treatment often brings a one-time $10,000 to $20,000 cost, while imprisonment costs about $40,000 annually, he said. Last year, Minnesota paid $42 million to imprison people convicted of meth-related crimes.
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Gilbert said meth users have a 75 percent chance of re-offending if they are not rehabilitated. About that percentage stays clean if they go to treatment and sobriety schools such as Amanda attends, said Jim Czarnieck, who operates the Litchfield and four other similar schools.
Finding a meth treatment opening is tough, according to an Annandale mother who placed her daughter in a program. While waiting, Lisa Becker said her daughter resumed using meth.
Amanda said treatment is worth the wait.
"While on meth, I lost all respect and self esteem," she said.
