Crystal Meth Epidemic Becomes A Spiritual Issue in U.S.

It may be the worst of the worst...the most devastating drug ever to scourge the United States: This is the reality of methamphetamine, a drug that is growing in popularity and destruction of lives throughout the United States. Reuters this week published a sweeping article describing the drug's incredible growth in rural America. As the drug's popularity grows, so does associated crime, child abuse, and even unexpected and very dangerous toxic pollution.

"It is out of control. It is a huge problem all across the United States," said Mike Logsdon, unit chief of an intelligence arm of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that collects data on the problem.

The drug is also popularly known as crank, crystal, speed and ice. Users are able to ingest the drug in a varitey of ways, included being snorted, injected, smoked, or simply swallowed. And, the effects are immediate as it only takes a few minutes for the user to experiences a "rush of energy and sense of well-being" that can have up to 12 hours' duration. However, when the user comes down as by the drug wears off, there is a morose feeling, a deep depression, accompanied by paranoia which makes the user willing to do almost anything to obtain another fix.

The epidemic developed largely in the past five years and, unlike previous drugs, this one is hitting America's heartland, small towns and rural areas where the drug's use is bordering on out of control. The DEA says that this is due to the fact that meth is simple and inexpensive to create. The ingredients (rock salt, battery acid, anhydrous ammonia and cold medicines) are all readily available. In face, you can even obtain "recipes" online.

And, authorities say that small towns and America's vast farm and rural areas are ideal places to create meth labs as it's very difficult to locate them in these wide open spaces.

"It's the first drug in the history of the United States we can make, distribute, sell, take, all here in the Midwest," said Detective Jason Grellner, of the Franklin County Sheriff's Department in Missouri told Reuters His department raided 120 meth labs last year alone.

"You can't grow a coca plantation or an opium plantation here to get your heroin or cocaine, and marijuana takes four or five months to grow a good plant. With methamphetamine you can go out and for a couple hundred dollars you can make your drugs that day," Grellner is quoted as saying.

IT SWEPT DOWN ON US SO FAST!

Crystal Meth showed up in rural America with almost no warning at all and obtained a toehold before authorities even had a clue. Check this out: Sheriff Randy Krukow of Clay County in western Iowa told Reuters that, in 1999, he had not detected a single meth-producing laboratory. By 2001, his force had broken up 56 in a county with a population of only 18,000!!!!

"This is the most serious law enforcement problem we've ever faced in the history of our state because this substance is so addictive and so easy and cheap to make," said North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

"When we look at our prison population, 10 years ago nobody had even heard of it. Now 60 percent of our male inmates are users and we're building a brand new prison for female users," Stenehjem said.

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal recently told a statewide conference on combating the drug: "It doesn't matter where we go in the state, methamphetamine is there. The whole issue is eating us alive."

The Drug Trends Analysis Unit, an office in the Justice Department, says that the highest numbers of meth labs are found in California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri, all important farming states.

"Clandestine labs were discovered in abandoned farms, in fields and ditches, vehicles, barns and even in 309 cases in hotel rooms. In one 2002 incident in North Dakota, an explosion set off a fire which destroyed the entire hotel."

THEN, THERE'S THE TOXIC WASTE PROBLEM

Each pound of methamphetamines that's made produces another five to six pounds of waste that's so incredibly toxic that raids can endanger the lives of police officers, most of whom lack the expertise required to do this hazardous work.

Some 20 states are now trying to limit the amount of cold medicines and decongestants that pharmacies may sell to individuals to two packets at any one time. Some states are trying to require drug stores to remove these cold medicines from the shelves entirely, requiring customers to go find a pharmacist and request "over the counter" cold and flu treatments. Of course, the pharmaceutical industry rigorously opposes these moves.

The economic losses associated with Meth staggering. A study just issued by the Sam Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas looked at methamphetamine use in Benton County, the home of Walmart Stores Inc. The research found that lost productivity and absenteeism because of methamphetamine addiction just in that county was costing employers there more than $21 million a year.

MIDWEST MINISTRY BEGINS TACKLING THE METH PROBLEM

A new ministry is working with methamphetamine addicts as they cope with the reality that the drug causes brain damage similar to the effects of a stroke, epilepsy and Alzheimers disease. "It is the devil's greatest tool in the world of drugs," Paula Wood, reformed methamphetamine addict and founder of Break Free Ministry, told "Charisma" magazine in the February issue, out now. (The full story on the ministry can be found in the magazine.)

Dubbed the "devil's drug," methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system, creating an intense high that can last as long as 24 hours. But it can also produce psychotic behavior, resulting in extreme violence.

Also known as speed, meth or chalk, methamphetamine is made in clandestine laboratories from everyday household products and is the most prevalent synthetic drug manufactured in the United States. According to a 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 1.3 million people used the drug during the previous year.

Founded in 2003, Break Free, which reaches out to methamphetamine addicts and their families, is run by Paula and husband Andy Wood from their home in Savanna, Okla. -- an area that has been ravaged by the drug. The ministry consists of 10 team members, eight of whom are former meth addicts. They go into the streets and preach that religion holds a way out. The group also brings food to those who are living in the streets due to the devastating, life-destroying, drug.

Gratefully reprinted for academic, research, and educational purposes. (Additional reporting by Carey Gillam)

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