West Hollywood will be working to curb the growing problem of crystal meth use within the community after President Joe Biden on April 14 signed the Methamphetamine Response Act, which requires the federal government to develop a plan to address the meth overdose rate.

Soon, West Hollywood residents and visitors will be given a survey to share their personal observations and experiences with meth.

Dean Ambrosini, prevention coordinator with the West Hollywood Project for the Institute of Public Strategies, is working to implement the survey with the city.

“The survey is a set of approximately 20 questions, multiple choice, asking respondents their opinion on the impact crystal meth has had on the community,” Ambrosini said. “There are questions about their knowledge of meth use and the effects of meth use such as discarded paraphernalia and open drug use. There is also a set of questions about their familiarity with harm reduction methods, which might help to reduce the problem.”

In 2017, the West Hollywood Project helped to appoint an alcohol liaison officer to work directly with bars and clubs, helping to reduce alcohol-related crimes. The survey is the latest way the organization is working with the city to address problems stemming from substance abuse.

Ambrosini said that West Hollywood is demographically more inclined to experience problems with meth.

“Recent data from the [Los Angeles] County Department of Public Health showed that the area around West Hollywood had the highest number of hospitalizations and treatment admissions for crystal meth addiction than any other area of the county,” Ambrosini said. “Overall, it is believed that meth use has increased nationwide due to an increase in supply and availability. Crystal meth is widely used by men who have sex with men, primarily gay men, to enhance sexual experiences. Because West Hollywood has a large LGBTQ+ population, the problem is particularly concentrated here.”

The West Hollywood Project will be working with the Safe West Hollywood Community Coalition on the survey.

The coalition describes itself as “a group of concerned citizens, health professional business leaders in West Hollywood working to reduce substance-related harms in the community.”

The West Hollywood Project directs the coalition, and it is funded by the L.A. County Department of Public Health’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control program.

Through the survey, the organizations aim to gather data that can support recommendations to be made to the West Hollywood City Council that can help to better curb the meth problem, which Councilman John Erickson characterized as an epidemic that is often forgotten.

“People forget that these other problems still exist,” Erickson said. “Even though we are still in in the COVID pandemic, we still have to deal with a meth epidemic. We need to continue to fight that battle. WeHo has a long-standing tradition of supporting and uplifting our recovery community, and we are committed to ensuring that we have accurate data and information on how we can combat meth use.”

Questions on the survey will ask residents whether or not they have seen anyone overdosing on or experiencing external harm from meth.

“The West Hollywood Project and the Safe West Hollywood Community Coalition are committed to [creating] a healthier, safer community by helping to mitigate the harms associated with crystal meth and other substance use. We are very fortunate to have a strong relationship with city government and find that they are very supportive of our efforts,” Ambrosini said.

For information about joining the Safe West Hollywood Community Coalition, email dambrosini@publicstrategies.org.