Pubdate: Tue, 26 Dec 2006 Source: Tulsa World (OK) Copyright: 2006 World Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.tulsaworld.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/463 Author: Kim Archer, World Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) METH STILL DRUG OF CHOICE Several methamphetamine-related incidents, including fatalities in the Tulsa area, have heightened officials' concerns. A pregnant woman believed to be under the influence of methamphetamine crashed her car in Sapulpa, killing her baby and injuring her 4-year-old daughter. A 3-year-old Tulsa County boy was found wandering miles away from his meth-lab home. A six-fatality accident over Labor Day weekend led police to a stash of meth in the vehicle of the man blamed for the crash. The state Medical Examiner's Office reported earlier this month that the man had an extremely large amount of methamphetamine in his body at the time of the accident. The rash of methamphetamine-related incidents in the Tulsa area only seems to underscore the assertion that meth remains the drug of choice in Oklahoma. "Methamphetamine, which is produced in Mexico and the southwest United States and locally produced, remains the principal drug of concern in the state of Oklahoma," according to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency report. The meth problem is not just confined to users and their families. "The overall health costs can be astronomical," said Jennifer Glover, director of substance abuse services for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The economic impact of overall substance abuse in Oklahoma is estimated at between $3.21 billion and $4.38 billion per year, according to a recent Oklahoma Governor's and Attorney General's Blue Ribbon Task Force report. The task force based its estimates on 2003 figures. Methamphetamines are manufactured in clandestine labs using highly toxic, flammable chemicals. Local meth cooks use a number of toxic chemicals such as drain cleaner, lighter fluid, acetone or Coleman fuel to change pseudoephedrine contained in cold pills into methamphetamine. This increases the risk of fire or explosions. And exposure to those chemicals by police, firefighters and emergency personnel has been attributed to widespread medical problems among first-responders. Methamphetamine abuse often leads to increased child abuse or neglect, emergency room visits due to overdose or injury, criminal activity and environmental contamination, officials say. "We know that people who have substance abuse problems make more hospital visits and get referrals to child protective services," Glover said. Over the past year, the state has tracked more cases of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C cases directly related to methamphetamine abuse, she said. "It's not only those who use intraveneously, but it happens to noninjecting users because of the risky sexual behaviors associated with meth use," she said. Dr. Michele Fowler, who works in OSU Medical Center's emergency room, said methamphetamine is one of the most common drugs they see in patients. It is a highly addictive stimulant that may cause people to be promiscuous. It causes people to pick at their skin, causing nasty, red sores. It rots their teeth, thins their hair, increases blood pressure and causes abscesses in the spine, Fowler said. "It seems to be a drug that once you use it, you get hooked on it immediately," she said. "It's bad stuff. Highly addictive and hard to quit." While methamphetamine is not the only type of drug that can devastate people's lives, it is one of the worst, said Wayne Guevara, a certified alcohol and drug counselor at Palmer Continuum of Care of Tulsa. "More people are using it. It's spread across the country and can touch every single aspect of a person's life," he said. Nearly a third of people receiving substance abuse treatment through the state list methamphetamine among their top three drugs of choice, a 23.6 percent increase from those surveyed in 2000, Glover said. "With methamphetamines, the way it attacks the body and the dental decay are different than from other substances. Other drugs are certainly harmful, but things happen more rapidly with meth use," she said. In 2004, Oklahoma led a nationwide movement by enacting a law restricting the sale of over-the-counter cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient in the illicit production of methamphetamines. More than 30 other states have enacted similar laws since then. As a result, meth lab seizures in Oklahoma have fallen dramatically, from 1,193 in 2001 to 274 in 2005. Unfortunately, the drug flow from Mexico has increased to supply Oklahoma addicts. The good news is that more people are seeking treatment for methamphetamine addiction, according to the U.S. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. "A person's best chance of recovery lies in residential treatment," Guevara said. More rehabilitation opportunities are needed, particularly for those who have limited resources, he said. "There are just not enough rehabilitation facilities out there," Guevara said. "People are being told there is a 30-day to 90-day waiting period for admission. These people can't wait." People with money or insurance can go to Texas or Missouri for private treatment facilities, Guevara said. "I see people who've just pawned their last stereo. They can't afford private care," he said. "There are a lot of people who can't afford it. But if a person can get treatment, they can recover."