Pubdate: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 Source: Reno Gazette-Journal (NV) Copyright: 2006 Reno Gazette-Journal Contact: http://www.rgj.com/helpdesk/news/letter-to-editor.php Website: http://www.rgj.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/363 Author: Jaclyn O'Malley Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Series: Meth: Shattering Lives In Northern Nevada A three-month Reno Gazette-Journal investigation found that methamphetamine's grip on the Truckee Meadows has become a stranglehold. METH IS 'A WHOLE NEW LEVEL' OF DRUGS FOR NEVADA'S TEENS Instead of worrying about their upcoming biology test or if their latest crush likes them, Washoe County adolescent methamphetamine addicts are meeting with probation officers, urinating into cups for mandatory drug testing and having to prove to their parents that they can be trusted again. Nice childhood, huh? Many teen addicts run away and live on the streets, or with strangers or older meth addicts. Others end up sexually assaulted or robbed. They drop out of school. Many teen meth users say the drug makes them feel invincible and energized, giving them an escape without really going anywhere. Some have underlying mental issues or emotional problems. Others are just rebellious or let a drug experiment get out of hand. And these aren't just poor kids: Teen meth abuse in Washoe County strikes all backgrounds and wealth levels, juvenile justice and treatment officials say. "Meth is a whole new level compared to pot and over-the-counter drugs," said Christine Eckles, juvenile probation officer who oversees juvenile drug court defendants. "It's a whole new ball game. I tell kids heavily into it who run away and use meth for days on end that they are in a war." Choosing meth over offspring Eckles described one of her clients as Stacey, 15, who was introduced to her when she was 14 and had truancy and criminal issues. The girl had been stealing deodorant from stores and food from homes because her family couldn't provide her with the basic neccessities. She was placed on probation. She lived with her mother, who was a 15-year meth addict and lived with her meth addict boyfriend and their drug dealer. Her two brothers were in the criminal justice system. The girl frequently tested positive for meth while on probation. Eckles wanted to know why she started using in the first place when she knew the damage it caused to her own family. "She said she wanted to know why her mother loved it so much," Eckles recounted, "because she picked meth over her." The girl is in drug court, where it was determined she needed residential treatment. Her mother was in jail during this time. The day after the mother got released in late April, Eckles visited her to talk about getting her daughter back. Her mother tested positive for meth that day. "Her mom won't stay clean and is unwilling to kick out the drug dealer," Eckles said. "Meth is so powerful she chose meth over her child." The girl's brother's girlfriend also recently delivered a baby that was taken away by social workers because tests showed the baby had meth in its bloodstream. "This is the norm," Eckles said of children's meth lifestyles. "So many say they just wanted to try it once." While some kids experiment with alcohol and drugs as a rite of passage, the highly addictive meth often hooks kids immediately. What's more, meth is easy to buy in Washoe County; many teen meth users say all it takes is a walk around downtown Reno. Police say some kids who are heavy users also sell to other teens and older adults. Few programs for teens Debra Kamka, counselor and founder of Quest Counseling in Reno, one of the few resources available here for teens, said Reno's lifestyle makes it easy for teens to abuse meth. "We live in a 24-hour town, families are working two jobs and friends are doing it," she said. Kamka said users' tolerance of the drug increases and "it becomes a daily thing instead of just on the weekends." The steady use makes it more difficult to stop, and Jolene Dalluhn, counselor and co-founder of Quest, said this requires a long recovery time -- frustrating young patients who want immediate results. "They need to be clean before they can start counseling," she said. "They like to blame everyone and everything for their problems, but meth is the root of it all and therapy doesn't work if they don't change their thinking." The problem is that meth makes users feel euphoric, and few other activities make teens feel as good. "That meth euphoria ... they are always in search of a feeling that good again and it's hard to find a replacement for it," Eckles said. 'How many are we missing?' Washoe County juvenile drug court probation officer Mike Loranger said there are 950 juveniles on probation and half have substance abuse issues """" primarily with meth. "With meth, we're not just working with the child, we're working with mom and dad and bringing in therapists to deal with mental health issues," he said. "We have 950 in probation, but how many are we missing?" Eckles said even former users who work and receive therapy still hold an affection for the drug. "It seems like a piece of them is so in love with meth and it's still a struggle to give it up, even though they have lost relationships, aren't in school, are in unsafe environments and are not living the life they always wanted," she said. Talk to children early Quest Executive Director Denise Everett said that parents need to talk to their children at a young age. Just as some families discuss going to college after high school, families should make 'saying no to drugs' "part of their consciousness." Eckles is still confused why teens like meth. It rots their teeth, ruins their skin and leaves them dirty and malnourished. "(Yet) they describe these environments like it's a great time," she said. "They have no answer when I ask them why they do it. They just know they want to do it again." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman