Family Magazine
Opening Our Eyes to the Truth About METH
The addiction rate is higher.
The drug is easier to get than coke or heroin.
The debilitating effects are permanent.
The relapse is higher than any other drug.
Drugs have been a threat to the well-being of our children, families, communities and nation for years. Meth is no different in that respect. But the true picture this drug paints is worse than even heroin or cocaine.
The more I learned about meth, short for methamphetamine, the
more alarmed I became. Especially after talking to Alex,* a Fargo man in his early 30s who has been a hard user of meth
for over three years. He said, “You can feel the poison
going in and coming out.” It became clear to me that
this drug was more dangerous than any our community has seen.
It is so readily available here in the Red River Valley, cheaper
in comparison to other drugs, highly addictive and hard to
quit using. But perhaps the most disturbing trait of meth
is its ability to permanently damage the brain's “pleasure
center.” Anyone who has anything to do with the drug
and its effects warns us—don't take it lightly. Alex
said, “It not only poisons your body, it poisons your
mind, your reality, your life, your soul. It poisons everything—and if I hadn’t gotten out when I did, I would be dead
by now.”
*not his real name
The make-up of meth
Meth is a poison, not only in the way it erodes at your life, but also in the literal make up of the drug. Mike Erbes, narcotics officer for the Fargo Police Department said, "Meth is made from a variety of household chemicals. Most of the time, it is manufactured using pseudoephedrine, the medicine commonly found in cold and allergy remedies. The pseudoephedrine is then altered using other chemicals to make meth."
Other chemicals could include Drano, formaldehyde, anhydrous ammonia, bluing (used to whiten clothes), starting fluid from cars, and anti-freeze. Erbes said, “We don't like to talk about specifics, because we don't want to make it any easier for people to manufacture it.” The ingredients used to make meth are fairly inexpensive, although some of them can be difficult to obtain.
Meth is made in secret, usually makeshift laboratories that may be found in ordinary kitchens, bathrooms, basements or sheds. The process for making (“cooking”) meth is not difficult to learn, so uneducated drug dealers can make the drug without any scientific training.
Erbes says, “The majority of the meth in our area is imported from other areas, such as California and Mexico. However, more and more frequently law enforcement officers are discovering clandestine labs that are utilized to manufacture meth in our area.”
George Jacobs, licensed addiction counselor for Prairie at St. John’s in Fargo, is very familiar with meth use in our community. She says, “There are a few good ‘cookers’ who know how to mix the right portions without blowing up the place. Some are afraid to learn to be a cook, because they know they would use all that they make.”
The finished product is usually a powder or crystalline substance and can vary widely in color and texture. Erbes says, “I have seen meth in the area that was white, tan, brown, pink and yellow. We believe that the reason the color varies so much is that different processes and chemicals are used to manufacture the drug.”
Meth comes in different forms and is smoked, snorted or injected into the body. The “coarse mix” is only smoked—it is too tough on the membranes in the nose and sinuses. Ecstasy (meth mixed with other hallucinogens) is taken orally as a pill.
How does it work?
Methamphetamine acts on the sympathetic nervous system, which controls heart and lung functioning, digestion, sweating, and so on. It messes with the brain's release and blockage of dopamine, the chemical which controls feelings of pleasure. The sudden release of dopamine is one of the highs of this drug and one of its highly addictive characteristics.
Craig Davis, licensed addiction counselor at Drake Counseling, Fargo, says, “One of the reasons people are so attracted to the drug is that it gives them high, grandious feelings. They are on top of the world, full of energy and feel good.” The rush lasts between 15 and 30 minutes, but the “wire” feeling lasts for hours.
Alex experienced a “lift. It got me going, kept me awake. I felt like I was working harder, but really I wasn’t getting anything done.”
Many users perform meaningless behaviors repeatedly without being able to stop. For example, they take apart their stereos and put them back together, play cards for hours on end, or pick at their skin until it bleeds.
Erbes adds, “Meth users frequently do not sleep, become paranoid, suffer excessive loss of weight and other health problems.” And as the abuse continues, the effects worsen. “People using meth over a long period of time frequently become delusional and may be violent,” says Erbes. They become dangerous to those around them, threatening, assaulting, even killing people who make them nervous.
Getting started
So why would anyone risk suffering the effects of meth? According to Kevin Thompson, professor of sociology at NDSU, Fargo, meth has become a common drug to use among three groups of young people. First, rave participants who snort or smoke the drug to sustain energy for all night dancing. Secondly, girls or women who see the drug as being effective for losing weight, and thirdly, athletes who wish to maintain high energy levels to enhance performance.
Also, because users are starting so young, they don’t have a clear understanding of the debilitating long-term effects of the drug, nor are they aware of how highly addictive it is. Davis works with adolescents as young as 12 years old who are addicted to meth, which indicates to him the drug usage could start as young as 10.
Alex said, “It always starts out as being fun. I wanted to try something new, but it sucked me in right away. And the more I did, the more I needed to do to get the same high.”
Most users start out with other drugs, such as alcohol and marijuana. Alex has been using drugs on and off since he was 15. “I started by smoking pot, and then graduated to coke, then started crank (a type of meth). Meth is a lot easier to get and not as expensive as coke.”
This is not to say meth is cheap. Erbes indicated the price of meth runs about $100–$140 per gram. An average user gets three to six uses per gram. At press time, the Fargo Police Department had just seized two pounds of meth with an estimated street value of $90,000.
Meth and our community
Char Walen, Drake Counseling, is a licensed addiction counselor who treats adults hooked on meth. Both she and Davis have noticed a sharp increase in meth use in the last couple of years. “I’ve seen a real increase in the adults who are using,” says Walen.
This information is backed up by statistics. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, in 2001, 62% of high school seniors reported that ecstasy was “fairly easy” or “very easy” to obtain, compared to 22% when this question was first asked in 1989.
A 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in Fargo shows ninth through 12th graders who reported using meth in their lifetime was up from almost nine in 100 (8.9%) in 1999 to almost 13 of 100 (12.9%) students in 2001. This figure is 3% higher than the statewide rate.
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations indicates the first lab surfaced in North Dakota in 1997. Last year North Dakota investigated over 200 labs statewide and Minnesota over 300 labs. Approximately 24 of these were investigated by narcotics officer in the Red River Valley. Steve Kennedy, a former narcotics officer in Moorhead for six years, says, “Marijuana was the most prosecuted drug offense up until 1999, when meth defendants began to outnumber marijuana, and continue to do so. Meth is definitely the drug of choice in the Red River Valley.”
Erbes agrees, “Meth is a large problem in our community.”
Is our community aware of the problem of meth? Erbes says that depends on what part of the community we are talking about. “I think that people in the community who work around kids are well aware that kids in our area are using meth. I also believe that people who are farther removed from kids may not be as aware of what's going on.”
Collateral damage
There are many costs to a community beyond the individual suffering of the user. Wherever clandestine labs exist, drug dealers, innocent neighbors and law enforcement personnel are at risk. Explosions and fire are the most common hazards. Meth labs create a mixture of volatile and flammable chemicals in the air. Something as simple as knocking over a container, lighting a cigarette, or turning on electrical equipment can ignite an explosion.
Contact with the chemicals in these labs is extremely dangerous. Just breathing their fumes can cause illness or permanent injury.
The environment suffers as well. For each pound of meth produced, five to six pounds of toxic waste are left behind. These leftover chemicals go down household drains, into storm drains, or directly into the ground, and can persist in the soil and groundwater for years.
Other costs spread to the community at-large include increased criminal activity, domestic violence, increased medical costs, spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and lost worker productivity.
Jacobs has experienced this with the users she has worked with. “Most of them have sold, pawned or traded everything they own for drugs or money to buy drugs. Some have stolen from parents, friends and family members. They’ve stolen credit cards and maxed them out. Many have stolen checks and forged names to buy drugs. They become desperate, out of control and unable to stop the drug use. They lose touch with reality.”
Coming clean
Meth hooks its users easily because the highs are so intense and the lows are so painful. So how does one escape the vicious cycle of use?
Walen says it's definitely not easy—relapse is higher for meth than other drugs because it takes so long to start to feel good again and the craving can be unbearable. “Normal feelings don’t return like with other drugs or alcohol.”
Lyle Heit, LAC, LSW, Sharehouse, Fargo, says, “When you are coming clean, it takes at least 50–60 days before you start to feel normal again.” One reason for this is that effects of long-term use may be permanent. Jacobs said, “When the neurotransmitters are over-stimulated (by the drug use) for long periods of time, they shut down and quit firing.” This leaves the brain without the capability to produce serotonin and dopamine, which are needed to “feel good.” Therefore, depression sets in. Jacobs adds, “In some extreme cases, the depression does not improve with antidepressant medication.”
During treatment, there is a huge need for support from the family and structure for the addict. Most treatment is based on the same 12-step recovery program as Alcoholics Anonymous, however the detox time is longer. Those treating meth users need to focus not only on the physical factors (weight loss, lack of sleep, general deterioration of health), but also mental factors (paranoia, depression, anxiety).
Alex has been in treatment for two months. Although he says it’s going “pretty good,” he is constantly struggling. “My mind is so riddled, it’s constantly going. I can’t get anything done. All I think about is using—it’s a very hard thing to get out of my mind.”
When asked about the success of treatment, Jacobs says “that depends on what you call success.
“There have been some who have conquered the battle with this drug. They are committed to getting off the drug, following the program, changing friends, going to meetings and avoiding old hangouts. In some cases a change of music has eliminated a relapse trigger for them. They have held on to the promises they made to themselves.
“Then there are others who go back to marijuana and alcohol but never use meth again. They make positive changes and don’t get into trouble. For them, this is recovery.
“For many, the opposite is true. The cravings become too strong. They get fearful and go back to what they know best. The drug is like a best friend—always there for them, dependable. It offers instant gratification and gives them a high they believe they can’t get without it.”
Knowledge is power
For our community, awareness of the poisonous effects of meth can be a powerful thing. Citizens, parents, educators, and coaches should recognize and watch for signs of meth use.
For parents, perhaps the most powerful deterrent is knowledge of where your kids are and who they are with.
Jacobs said, “Kids skip school to use the drug or they tell their parents they are staying at a friend’s house for the night. The kids each tell their parents they are staying with a different friend, usually one whose parents are out of town.”
Davis encourages parents to stay involved, “Ask your kids what they are doing. Set guidelines and limits. Know your kids’ friends and their parents. Educate yourself on the dangers of drug use and talk to your kids about them.”
According to a national study released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, although virtually all parents in America (98%) say they have talked with their children about drugs, only 27% of teens say they’re learning a lot at home about the risks of drugs. The survey also found drug use significantly lower among kids who’ve learned a great deal about drugs at home.
Perhaps the greatest obstacle parents face is believing that their own children are at risk. “The problem isn’t that parents don’t care,” says James E. Burke, chairman of the Partnership. “Many simply don’t believe drugs are a problem facing their family.”
But drugs are a problem facing all of us. Meth is especially dangerous because of its availability, cost and addictive characteristics.
For our kids’ sake, for our community’s sake, we need to take our hands away from our eyes and see the poison of meth for what it is—a very real threat. Alex wants to warn others—“For anyone thinking of taking meth, I want to scare the living dickens out of them. Meth is a waste of your time and your life. It grabs you by the balls and twists and every time it twists, you can’t think of anything else. It’s the most vicious thing you can do to your mind and your soul.”