Pubdate: Tue, 15 Apr 2003
Source: Times-Journal, The (Fort Payne, AL)
Copyright: 2003 Times-Journal
Contact:  http://www.times-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1883
Author: Steven Stiefel
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

MONSTER METH: RURAL RAGE

Headlines are increasingly dominated by news involving methamphetamine, an 
addictive stimulant that has soared in popularity among drug users, 
especially in rural Alabama.

"As one writer put it, those who cook meth are the moonshiners of the 21st 
century," said DeKalb County District Attorney Mike O'Dell. "District 
attorneys from larger jurisdictions tell me they do not have a meth 
problem. It appears to be a rural phenomenon. There has been more meth 
activity in northeast Alabama than the rest of the state combined."

"I don't think people realize the volume and severity of the meth problem 
in DeKalb County," said Gene Cleckler, who works to help addicts recover.

O'Dell said methamphetamine has a high potential for abuse and dependence. 
Some common names are "ice," and "crystal." The sugar-like powder is 
usually sold in Ziploc bags, then smoked, injected or snorted.

Recovering addicts describe a profound sense of euphoria that makes the 
worries of everyday life vanish into thin air. The drug releases high 
levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, 
enhancing mood and body movement.

Users can become addicted quickly and use it with increasing frequency and 
in increasing doses attempting to keep the same level of intoxication.

Meth users go for days without food or sleep. Many become irritable, 
confused, anxious, paranoid and aggressive. Some lose everything in 
desperation to keep that high.

One key to the popularity is its availability. A trip to local the hardware 
store and pharmacy provides all the ingredients necessary to cook meth and 
there are more than 300 meth recipes on the Internet.

O'Dell's office has advised merchants about the precursor materials, but a 
Fort Payne man with a shop in Cherokee County recently became the first 
person charged in Alabama under a law aimed at those alleged to be selling 
large amounts.

The main ingredient in the drug is ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, which 
comes from over-the-counter cold and allergy pills or cough medicine. While 
the ingredients are found in many households, turning them into meth is 
extremely dangerous. A miscalculation can produce a deadly toxic gas 
similar to mustard gas used against troops in World War I or result in an 
explosion.

"You can drive down the road on any given day and smell meth cooking goin' 
down the road. Only in north alabama!" one user wrote on an Internet forum.

Beyond the behavioral aspects, methamphetamine also presents a serious 
health hazard.

Meth appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain cells that contain 
dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time, 
methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can 
result in symptoms like those of Parkinson's disease, a severe movement 
disorder, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug 
Information

Methamphetamine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can 
cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes. 
Other effects of methamphetamine include respiratory problems, irregular 
heartbeat, and extreme anorexia. Meth use can result in cardiovascular 
collapse and death.

In this week's series, three former addicts now allied with the Partnership 
for a Drug Free DeKalb will share their stories of hitting rock bottom.

We will also examine the efforts by local law enforcement and the court 
system to get a grip on methamphetamine, as well as treatment options for 
those caught in the grip of the drug.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager