Law enforcement and health officials came together at COG for a special forum where they explored methods for combating a growing methamphetamine problem in the region. As the number of meth labs and addicts rises, public officials worked to identify policies and strategies for preventing more increases and for mitigating threats to the region.

"If we don't deal with this problem now, we will pay later," said James Copple, founding partner of Strategic Applications International. "States where this has already been a big problem are paying enormous financial costs. It's important that we get ahead of it here."

The one-day forum focused on identifying programs, policies and strategies that could be implemented in jurisdictions of the metropolitan Washington area. Communities across America are beginning to feel the social and economic impacts of meth, which is a highly toxic, highly explosive drug to produce. The National Association of Counties and the National Sheriff’s Association identify the drug as the number one law enforcement problem facing communities throughout the country.