Shamblin, who joined the department in 2008 to manage and coordinate the $334,000 anti-methamphetamine education program, received the Police Chief’s Certificate of Commendation in recognition of her “outstanding effort as chairperson of the Methamphetamine Community Alliance program’s prevention subcommittee.”
Deputy Police Chief Steve Pitts said that between January 2008 and April of this year, Shamblin “immersed herself in the health effects, availability and community concerns surrounding methamphetamine.”
According to Pitts, Shamblin modified a brown bag lunch education program from another state for use in the Reno area and has arranged for more than 100 presentations and meetings to community groups and businesses.
The brown bag training is offered at local business locations as an effort to reach parents and other community members conveniently, providing a quick lesson on how to recognize the signs of drug abuse. The hour-long free training sessions concentrate on recognizing the signs of drug abuse, drug types commonly used in the area, the long- and short-term effects of drug use, legal consequences of drug use, risk factors for use in children and teens and refusal skills for parents to share with children and teens to prevent drug use.
Highly addictive methamphetamine remains one of the most dangerous illegal street drugs with effects that can last up to 24 hours. Effects, which include elevated heart rate, anxiety, depression, delusions, mood swings, insomnia, confusion, blurred vision and dizziness, among others, usually begin within 5-10 seconds. Appearance and physical deterioration also begin very quickly. Social problems associated with use of methamphetamine include criminal behavior, homelessness, unemployment, poverty, delinquency and dangerous driving, while family consequences include physical and sexual abuse, exploitation and domestic violence.
The free training can be scheduled by contacting Shamblin at 334-3064, or by e-mail at shamblins@ci.reno.nv.us.
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