With more and more incidents about methamphetamine in the news every day, some people are wondering what this drug is all about.
According to a National Institute on Drug Abuse research report, meth has traditionally been associated with white, male, blue-collar workers, but is constantly being used by a more diverse population, especially in rural areas.
“I refer to meth as the state drug of Arkansas,” said Kathleen Partridge, clinical supervisor of Freedom House. “Arkansas is mainly rural, so I hear ‘there was nothing else to do’ a lot. I just ask them, how do you get from ‘I’m bored’ to ‘Let’s shoot up meth!’ It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
When Partridge moved here eight years ago, she said she had only seen one client who had ever used meth.
Gary Rhodes, Freedom House Recovery Center director of operations, said within a six-county radius of Russellville, there was a 4 percent increase between 2003 and 2004 in the number of people treated for meth addiction as opposed to other addictions such as alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. In 2003, 14 percent of addicts who sought treatment were using meth, second only to alcohol abuse. In 2004, the percent of meth addicts rose to 18.
Also in 2003, Pope County law enforcement officials reported 21 meth laboratory seizures, the 10th highest seizure rate of all Arkansas counties in which there were between 800 and 1,100 labs reported by the National Drug Enforcement Administration and local and state officials.
Methamphetamines, although called many names such as meth, ice, crystal, crank, or chalk, are all basically the same, but not many people know exactly what it is.
Meth comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, injected or orally ingested. The drug alters the user’s mood in different ways, depending on how it is taken.
Immediately after smoking the drug or injecting it intravenously, a rush that only lasts a few minutes is experienced. However, by ingesting the drug, there is no rush, but the initial “high” can last 20 minutes, and by snorting the drug, the effects can last hours. Some users stay awake for days at a time when abusing meth.
Rhodes said a “high” from cocaine, the former leading drug other than alcohol, only lasts about 15 minutes. He said the recent change in the number of meth and cocaine users is because of the difference in the effects of the two drugs.
“If a person goes out and tries cocaine, about one out of five people will get hooked,” Rhodes said. “But with meth, four out of five people will get hooked because of its effects.”
Partridge said, “There is a thousand percent increase of dopamine production with meth. Heroin is not even that high. I can’t imagine what that would be like.”
She said because the meth puts dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that regulates movement, emotion, motivation and feeling of pleasure, is put into the body artificially, that the brain stops producing it naturally, causing the user to need more of the drug.
“A big problem with meth is that it’s homemade,” Rhodes said. “[Manufacturers] can go get all the supplies they need at a (retail store) for a couple hundred dollars, then sell it for thousands.”
Signs that neighbors can watch for dealing with meth production or distribution include frequent visitors, unexplained wealth, rooms that are off-limits, excess amounts of meth ingredients (coffee filters, lithium batteries, cold medicine), etc.
Signs of meth use include long periods of sleep or sleeplessness, weight loss, itching, irritability, paranoia, change in friends, etc.
The report stated that long-term meth use can cause toxic effects on the brain. As much as 50 percent of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain can be damaged, even after prolonged use of low levels of meth. It can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems as well. Rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, irreversible stroke-producing damage to the heart and brain, and hypothermia are just a few of the complications a meth user will experience, some of which can result in death.
“When [meth users] come to Freedom House, they are grieving the loss of a love,” Partridge said. “They wouldn’t give up as much as they do unless they loved this drug.”
She said the power of this “love” for meth can cloud judgment profusely.
“The need, or the craving, is so enormous that anything you cared about, you don’t care about anymore,” Partridge said. “I’ve heard of people selling the clothes off their backs.”
Partridge explained that meth manufacturers do not see the dangers producing the drug can have on their children or themselves, such as explosions and simply breathing the toxic fumes. The chemicals used in meth’s production can permeate the walls and carpets of a home and the outdoor environment where the chemicals are sometimes disposed of.
“The brain has stopped functioning the way it was supposed to,” Partridge said. “Meth takes you to places you never wanted to go.”
She said Freedom House has six counselors in training, and after this week, it will only have one certified counselor. The counselors have workbooks to go by that are specifically designed for meth addicts. Partridge estimated that no more than 25 percent of the clients come to Freedom House voluntarily. The rest of the clients are court-ordered to be there or have made an agreement with family or an attorney.
The rehabilitation program at Freedom House is designed to heal the brain by ensuring the clients get the needed oxygen and glucose to the brain through diet and exercise. Programs that deal with the withdrawal process are also performed.
“I tell the clients to look in the mirror every day for a few minutes,” Partridge said. “Not just while they are putting on their make-up or shaving, but actually look into their own eyes and tell themselves that they are worth saving.”
Rhodes said, “The longer they stay in treatment, the better chance they have. They go from here (residential treatment) to out-patient treatment.”
While in out-patient care, the clients attend educational meetings, relapse prevention programs and group therapy sessions.
The number of people who get help, however, does not reflect the number of people in the community who are addicted. Rhodes said even with updated statistics, there is no way of knowing how many users there are in the community.
“There is law enforcement, and a lot of the clients here are court-ordered,” Rhodes said. “But some fall through the cracks and don’t get caught at all.”
Rhodes is a member of the new River Valley Meth Project and said the reason for the 2004 establishment of the committee was not only to catch the people who are getting away with producing, buying or selling meth, but also to educate the next generation on why they should not start.
“[The RVMP] is taking a holistic approach,” he said. “We take care of the mental aspect, the prevention, the law enforcement and the community. ... Everybody’s involved.”
Rhodes said the importance of participation from everyone in the community is that everyone is affected by meth. Untrained clandestine meth lab operators’ reckless practices can result in explosions and fires that could injure or kill not only the lab operator and associates, but also innocent bystanders, neighbors, law enforcement officers and firemen who come in contact with the lab.
The “catchment area,” which is the six-county area the RVMP conducts business in, includes Pope, Johnson, Yell, Conway, Faulkner and Perry counties.
“Meth has been declared an epidemic in Arkansas,” Rhodes said. “We have this program so we can win the war on meth.”