Column: A Closer Look-On the 'meth demon' and its destruction

There is a demon destroying lives; breaking hearts; poisoning and burning children; contaminating the environment; threatening all of our lives; and we should be aware of its horrendous destruction and try to ...

[Tara]

Sorry Paula, but the idea of using the site www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov destroys any credibility this article may have had. They are the last entity that should be consulted if you're looking for accuracy and truth regarding the meth issue, or for that matter, any drug. White House "Drug Czar" John Walters et al are considered a joke by anyone with even a passing knowledge of the drug situation in North America.

While meth and other serious drugs continued to become bigger and bigger problems, Mr. Walters continued with his bizarre assertion that the real culprit in the so-called "war on drugs" was marijuana. And that is an insult to anyone with an I.Q higher than a table lamp, as well as the taxpayers that foot the billion dollar annual bill.

What the current administration knows about the realities of addiction, treatment and recovery could be put on the head of a pin with lots of room left over.

[Paula]

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Tara, and from Toronto, Canada—that’s great! Well, the document “National Methamphetamine Threat Assessment 2008” was linked to the White House Drug Policy webpage and is it a publication by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC).

Here is a little background I found on NDIC: It was established by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1993 signed into law on October 6, 1992. Under the direction and control of the Attorney General, NDIC was established to coordinate and consolidate drug intelligence from all national security and law enforcement agencies, and produce information regarding the structure, membership, finances, communications, and activities of drug trafficking organizations. Initially staffed with intelligence analysts and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and administered by the FBI, NDIC opened its doors in Johnstown, PA on August 9, 1993. In February 1998 NDIC became an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice and now employs more than 340 federal employees and contract personnel.

So, Tara, the report I summarized in my A Closer Look column includes findings from law enforcement agents working in the field—and isn’t simply the personal opinion of the Drug Czar/director. And, I only shared some of the highlights/findings of the report—it was much more extensive.
Thanks so much again for sharing your feedback—hope all is well in Toronto. Have a wonderful day! Best Wishes, Paula

[Ed McKie]

Hello Paula:

Thanks for your article that helps to educate others as to this drug that is taking lives, destroying families and impacting our communities where we live.
Many studies have also directly linked the use of methamphetamine to reported new cases of HIV across the nation as well because of the unsafe sex behavior commonly engaged in while persons are under the influence of crystal methamphetamine.

This is one of the most dangerous components of the perfect storm that occurs when meth is used. For many, their sexual drive gets kicked into overdrive, and it is not uncommon for a person under the influence to seek several sex partners over a period of two to three days while they are high. It is not uncommon for the person who is high to remain awake for several days on end.

I know these things because I am a recovering crystal meth addict. I have been clean for two years now, and I am doing what I can to help educate others as to the danger involved with methamphetamine, and to help educate the addict and their family members some treatment options available.

But it is imperative that our children and our neighbors know that this is a dangerous drug that has the potential to destroy a person in a very short period of time.

I lost everything I had and was homeless within 3 years of starting - but I consider myself lucky - I have survived where many have not.

Thank you for helping to open discussion about this terrible drug that our children and friends are being introduced to on a daily basis.

Ed McKie, Orange CA

[Paula]

Dear Ed, Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience and your passion for helping others. Very important issue you raise-- a link between meth use and HIV. Yes, meth is so detrimental and destructive to a person's health including behavioral, mental, physical, emotional, environmental health.
And, by your sharing your own experiences and warnings about meth on this website, you are also helping to raise awareness. Experts I've read claim the most important way to prevent meth use is through public education.
Thanks again, Ed, I appreciate your post.
Take care, Paula

[Ed McKie]

We are all just human beings on this journey of life for a short while. Some of us will make mistakes, and others will be there to lend a hand to those in need to help them back to their feet again.
Two links your readers may find informative are "Faces of Meth" that graphically shows some of the devastation meth can cause to the body are www.facesofmeth.us
and frontliine online documentary "The meth epidemic" available free online at www.pbs.org
Be well,
Stay well,
Ed

[Tara]

The fact that you selectively censor responses on this page really says it all. I know this won't make it to the comments page, but I hope someone sees it. I grateful my country doesn't yet operate that way. We still cherish freedom of speech.

[Oroville Citizen]

Meth is probably the most disgusting drug ever! It's gross. It's made from disgusting chemicals and ruins tons of lives. I think that people who manufacture meth should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I can't believe that marijuana (a natural plant) is lumped into the same category as meth. Meth turns people into monsters in both physical and mental ways. Anyone who uses meth after seeing its affects is just stupid.

[Ed McKie]

Oroville Citizen wrote:

Meth is probably the most disgusting drug ever! It's gross. It's made from disgusting chemicals and ruins tons of lives. I think that people who manufacture meth should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I can't believe that marijuana (a natural plant) is lumped into the same category as meth. Meth turns people into monsters in both physical and mental ways. Anyone who uses meth after seeing its affects is just stupid.

I could not agree with you more! I was stupid to even try it once! But, for what it is worth - I had no idea of what it even was when I tried it for the first time, and that was all it took for me, I was hooked after my first time getting high on it. Perhaps if I had known what it was and what it would lead to - I would have passed the opportunity to try it even once. It is impossible to un-ring a bell, so I will never know that answer. I hope that would have had your attitude and said - this is stupid, and I have better things to do than to destroy my life.
Take care.
Ed