Pubdate: Sat, 31 Dec 2005
Source: Daily Sentinel, The (Grand Junction, CO)
Copyright: 2005 Cox Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.gjsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2084
Author: Emily Morris, The Daily Sentinel
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

ADDICTS OFTEN TURN VIOLENT, PARANOID

Methamphetamine is a derivative of amphetamine that can be injected,
smoked, snorted or ingested orally.

It comes in several forms and is known by a variety of names: crystal,
speed, ice, 'tina, glass.

It is a central nervous system stimulant that releases high levels of
the neurotransmitter dopamine, enhancing mood and body movement,
according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"You feel 10 feet tall and bulletproof, you think you are invincible,
the best-looking stud on the ranch," said Kenneth Lancaster, a
methamphetamine addict in Mesa County Jail for possession.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, amphetamines are
the most potent stimulant drug, causing a release of dopamine more
than three times that of cocaine.

People who use stay awake for days, sometimes six or seven days before
they crash, said Jack Williams, the child welfare administrator for
the Mesa County Department of Human Services.

"You wake up realizing you've been up two weeks smoking," Lancaster
said.

Humans are built to run on a cycle, Williams said. A person awake for
days on end eventually becomes psychotic. People using can become
angry, violent and paranoid, he said.

"You hear it all the time, 'I'm in here (jail) on DV (domestic
violence), me and the lady were up four days doing meth,' " Lancaster
said.

Hearing voices, or "tweaker syndrome," is not uncommon, Lancaster
said.

"Coming down, you get depressed, angry and mean," said Destiny
Wieberg, a pregnant woman in her early 20s who started using as a teen.

She said she slept for five days after she was booked into jail,
exhausted from using.

"We fight coming down. There are a lot of days I can't remember what
happened. I lose days, it all eventually comes back, but not small
details."

Amphetamines first became commercially available in the 1930s,
according to the Methamphetamine Treatment Project.

Motorcycle gangs began synthesizing it in California during the 1970s
and it has grown and moved east, according to the National Institute
on Drug Abuse.

Today, recipes are readily available. The ingredients are common
household products, toxic for human consumption.

Labs can be set up virtually anywhere - cars, storage units, rented
homes, hotel rooms. However, most of the methamphetamine in Grand
Junction comes from out of area, such as Mexico or California, said
Lt. Tim Grimsby with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

The labs in Grand Junction are mostly "ma and pop" outfits, producing
small amounts, Grimsby said.

"Most people don't care what they are putting in, they are cooking for
fiends," Lancaster said.

"It is easy to make, easy ingredients, doesn't take long to make, and
the profit margin is great. Where else can you invest a couple hundred
and over a weekend turn it into $2,500?"

In labs, the cooks change the chemical compound of the materials,
creating a highly volatile and poisonous environment that is dangerous
to occupants and neighbors. Byproducts from the process pose an
environmental threat as well.

When a methamphetamine lab is discovered, the Mesa County Hazardous
Materials Team is called in. People entering the lab wear full body
suits, and everyone in the area has to be decontaminated.

"The toll it takes on the body is unbelievable. When you look at
someone who has been using for six months, you can tell the
deterioration," Williams said.

When he meets with people who are using, they often emit a chemical
odor as their body tries to metabolize the drug. It washes calcium
from bones and teeth.

Users often have sores on their bodies from scratching or the drug
trying to make its way out, he said.

Research has shown meth can irreversibly damage blood vessels in the
brain and lead to strokes. It can also cause respiratory problems,
irregular heartbeat and extreme anorexia.

An overdose can cause a cardiovascular collapse and death, according
to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
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