Pubdate: Mon, 24 Apr 2006
Source: Pilot News (IN)
Contact:  http://thepilotnews.com/
Address: 214 N Michigan St, Plymouth, IN
Copyright: 2006 The Pilot News
Author:  Lindahl Wiegand, Staff Writer

METH TAKES TOLL ON THE BODY AND BRAIN

PLYMOUTH - The typical methamphetamine user is a white male, in his 
mid-twenties. He only planned on trying meth once, but is now 
addicted. He lives in Marshall County. He could be your neighbor.

The average "mether" in the county is a white male between the ages 
of 19 and 30, according to Jason Faulstich, Indiana State Trooper and 
head of the Meth Suppression Team at the Bremen post. Statewide, the 
average user age is 25 years old, but statistics are showing younger 
users, including more women.

A lot of the younger generation started with peer pressure. They were 
at a party, they tried it once," said Faulstich.

Plymouth Canine Officer John Weir deals with meth users on a daily 
basis. "When I ask, they usually just say their friends convinced 
them to just try it once," he said. "Some women say they used it to 
lose weight."

Many meth cooks, here in Marshall County, will try to get people 
addicted for their personal use, said Faulstich. "They're cooking up 
batches and taking them to parties, getting people hooked so they 
have suppliers to go out and get them Sudafed," he said. Other drug 
dealers are starting to lace marijuana with meth in order to attract 
new and younger users. Unfortunately, once is all it takes to become 
addicted to the most powerful stimulant drug available, said Faulstich.

Meth works by increasing the amount of dopamine released into the 
brain, giving users a feeling of pleasure or euphoria. Meanwhile, the 
process kills off brain cells.

Dopamine levels increase 300 percent when using cocaine, and 1,100 
percent when using meth. Once someone has taken meth for the first 
time, they will never get that same high again, said Faulstich.

That's the ultimate goal, to go back to that first high. But they'll 
never get it," said Indiana State Police Detective Mark Senter.

The physical and psychological effects of the drug are as powerful as 
the addiction. Most users will experience a complete change in 
personality and show aggression, depression, memory loss, 
hallucinations, and compulsive behaviors. Most lose or quit their 
jobs. "They don't care about their family, their kids, everything is 
second to the drug," said Senter.

Physical effects include the rotting of teeth, skin sores and rapid 
weight loss.

Meth ranges in several different forms, from powder to crystals to 
ice," said Faulstich. In Marshall County, powder is the most common form.

Meth is not naturally white, said Faulstich. Cooks actually have to 
clean the drug with acetone to whiten it.

It ranges from a chunky brown powder to white. It has a pink color 
sometimes because of the original Sudafed. You see a lot of brown 
because they've messed it up or did it in an old bucket," he said.

There are two major ways to produce meth. In Marshall County, this is 
referred to as the "Nazi" method. In Central and Southern Indiana, 
the Red P" method is more common.

The Nazi method uses anhydrous ammonia, which is easy to find in 
Marshall County, said Faulstich. "We're more agriculture, so they 
have access to these chemicals," he said.

The Red P method uses iodine red phosphorus. "The bigger cooks make 
Red P; it's more complicated," he said.

The majority of users smoke meth using aluminum foil boats filled 
with the powder. They use a miniature blow torch underneath the boat, 
and inhale the smoke into their nose or mouth, using the outside of a Bic pen.

Others use glass pipes or light bulbs to smoke the drug. Meth is so 
potent that it is not usually snorted like cocaine or other drugs, 
said Faulstich. "Those that have it real bad will cook their own 
urine, recycle it," he added. Addicts that can no longer smoke it 
through their nose or mouth do start to inject the drug, which 
usually results in sores in their skin, he said.

Most users in Marshall County turn into meth cooks for their own 
addiction, said Senter. "Maybe their cook got busted, so they have to 
learn how to do it. We don't see these guys making money doing this. 
They're making it for themselves," he said.

Some cooks sell enough meth to get by, since they usually do not 
work, said Faulstich. A gram of meth sells for $80 to $100, and will 
last a week or a weekend, varying on the user. Many users will binge 
on the drug for three or four days before their body crashes, said Senter.

The physical impact meth has on an individual is extreme. Even more 
threatening is the effect meth and meth labs can have on children, 
the environment, local businesses and the legal system in the county.

For more information on these topics, continue to read future 
articles about "Meth in Marshall County" in the Pilot News.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman