Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jan 2009
Source: Jefferson Post, The (NC)
Copyright: 2009 The Jefferson Post
Contact:  http://www.jeffersonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1771
Author: Jesse Campbell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METHAMPHETAMINE USE AFFECTS ABUSERS, FAMILIES

First in a series

At the turn of the millennium, law enforcement agencies in Ashe 
County began discovering a disturbing trend that was sweeping through 
the small mountain county; a rise in methamphetamine trafficking and usage.

Methamphetamine or "crystal meth" has been a growing threat to 
Western North Carolina communities since 1999 when the drug 
reportedly replaced crack cocaine as the principle drug threat, the 
North Carolina Drug Threat Assessment reported. Ashe County has not 
been left untouched by the drug's debilitating effects.

In October of 2001, officials at the Ashe County Sheriff's Office 
reported that methamphetamine was being transported into the area 
primarily by various package delivery services from Phoenix, AZ, the 
North Carolina Department of Justice said. Most of the 
methamphetamine seized from distributors in Ashe originated from 
producers in southwestern states and over the border in Mexico.

According to the NCDOJ, Mexican and Caucasian criminal groups 
frequently transported as much as 5 to 10 pounds of the substance at 
a time into various portions of North Carolina, often concealing the 
drug amongst other products including produce and furniture.

In most cases, methamphetamine was sold or distributed in private 
homes, local businesses, nightclubs, bars, and at truck stops. The 
drug is often sold in cellophane bags or wrapped in some other type 
of plastic material to prevent its exposure to the air. Commercial 
truck drivers and members of Caucasian motorcycle gangs have been the 
'carriers' of choice for some time now, the NCDOJ said. Over time, 
the drug's distribution began to seep into every corner of the state, 
including the western mountains and wooded eastern swamps.

The dangers of methamphetamine distribution can be hazardous to the 
general population and are not limited to urban centers were drug 
usage can run rampant. According to the Watauga County Sheriff's 
Office, in October 2001 officials reported there had been some 
drive-by shootings in the county that were believed to have stemmed 
from methamphetamine transactions or distributions. The idea of 
actual drive-by shootings in a rural county began to drive home the 
point to law enforcement of the threat the drug could poise to the 
stability of the community.

Traditionally, the majority of methamphetamine in North Carolina was 
manufactured west of the Mississippi but local production has grown 
in recent years particularly in mountain and eastern communities 
where the mountain and wooded vegetation provide a natural cover for 
laboratories, the NCDOJ said.

Owners of meth labs were beginning to become known as the moon 
shiners of the day but this generation was concocting a homemade brew 
that packed a much deadlier punch.

The amount of labs seized by North Carolina law enforcement hit a 
spike between June 2000 and June 2001 as authorities discovered 15 
meth labs statewide. Prior to 1999, officers seized only two to three 
labs annually.

Part of the drug's appeal to users is the euphoric state it creates 
when ingested. The drug gained popularity with the youth population 
at night clubs and raves due to the fact that it enabled users to 
stay awake and focused for long periods of time without needing 
sleep, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services stated.

Users of methamphetamine progress through three different levels of 
drug abuse. Low intensity users typically swallow or snort 
methamphetamine, which acts as an appetite suppressant as well as a 
stimulant. Low intensity users often progress to the state of binge 
consumption which consists of users smoking or injecting the drug in 
order to experience a quicker and more intense euphoric state.

The final stage of methamphetamine usage, and perhaps the most 
dangerous one, is the stage of tweaking. During the stage of 
tweaking, users abuse the drug for several consecutive days resulting 
in sustained periods of sleep deprivation accompanied with feelings 
of irritability or paranoia. When users reach the level of tweaking, 
they will often do whatever they can to prevent the inevitable crash 
they will encounter once the euphoric state wears off. Over an 
extended period of usage, abusers will begin to experience a 
decreased level of intensity in their euphoric state which is due to 
their increased level of tolerance, the NCDHHS stated.

Short term effects from methamphetamine usage can range from paranoia 
or anxiety to bouts of depression and fatigue. Users of the substance 
have also reported experiencing mental delusions and in some cases 
users exhibit violent or psychotic tendencies and actions. The long 
term side effects from methamphetamine usage can be particularly 
debilitating. Permanent damage to the user's lungs, liver, and 
kidneys can be sustained over long term usage, The Camp Recovery Center stated.

Methamphetamine usage can also put a tremendous financial strain on 
users and their families. Users will often spend their entire income 
on achieving a fix from the drug and will often ignore the purchase 
of common necessities in order to purchase methamphetamine. Once 
users become addicted to the drug they may have difficulty in 
maintaining employment and will often lose motivation to allocate 
other forms of employment once they progress through higher levels of 
usage, the Recovery Connection stated.

What most users of crystal meth do not realize is that their 
consumption of the drug not only affects them but the people around them.

A study conducted by the NCDOJ disclosed that methamphetamine abusers 
have committed a number of domestic crimes including spousal abuse 
and child neglect while under the influence of the drug. The study 
went on to explain that users who reach the abuse level known as 
"tweaking" will often exhibit unpredictable behavior and violent 
actions around family members. Partners are often physically abused 
during a "tweaker" binge and the needs of children are often 
overlooked or neglected altogether by the user. The magnitude of the 
violent behavior methamphetamine users are capable of has already 
been exhibited in the numerous automatic submachine gun and homemade 
bomb seizures state and local law enforcement officials have seized 
during laboratory raids in North Carolina, the NCDOJ said.

The lifestyles users develop can harm not only their health but that 
of the people they associate with as well. In some instances, users 
will construct and maintain laboratories for production while small 
children reside in the same dwelling.

This past September, two Ashe County residents were charged with the 
manufacture of methamphetamine and maintaining a dwelling for the 
purpose of manufacturing the drug. The two suspects were also charged 
with child neglect due to the fact that two small children had been 
living in the residence and may have been exposed to the dangers of 
crystal meth production.

In part two of the Post's series on the rise of crystal meth usage 
and its production in Ashe County, the efforts of the Ashe County 
Sheriff's Office to rid the county of the drug will be highlighted as 
well as the successes the office has enjoyed during "Operation Sleepy Eye."

In March of last year Sheriff James Williams sent a stern message to 
methamphetamine users, "Sleep with one eye open, because we are 
looking for you."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom