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FAST FACTS
ABOUT METH
- Meth is
made in America as well as internationally
Unlike heroin, cocaine, or Ecstasy, it is produced here within our borders.
We cant blame other countries for this problem.
- Meth is
not just a big city problem
Meth has become the most dangerous drug problem of small-town America.
Traffickers make and distribute the drug in some of our countrys
most rural areas. Twelve to fourteen year olds that live in smaller
towns are 104% more likely to use meth than those who live in larger
cities.
- "Tabletop"
labs on the increase
One of the reasons meth is such a threat in rural America is because
it is cheap and easy to make. Drugs that can be bought over the counter
at local stores are mixed with other common ingredients to make meth.
Small labs to cook the drug can be set up on tables in kitchens, countertops,
garages or just about anywhere. Although superlabs, operated by sophisticated
traffickers still supply the majority of meth, these smaller tabletop
labs have increased exponentially in the last decade, setting an alarming
trend.
- Meth hurts
not just individuals, but families, neighborhoods and entire communities
Meth is a powerfully addictive and violent drug. Its use can result
in fatal kidney and lung disorders, brain damage, liver damage, chronic
depression, paranoia and other physical and mental disorders. Recent
studies have demonstrated that meth causes more damage to the brain
than alcohol, heroin, or cocaine.
Environmental harm: The chemicals used to make meth are toxic, and the
lab operators routinely dump waste into streams, rivers, fields, and
sewage systems. The chemical vapors produced during cooking permeate
the walls and carpets of houses and buildings, making them uninhabitable.
Cleaning up these sites requires specialized training and costs an average
of $2,000-$4,000 per site in funds that come out of the already-strained
budgets of state and local police.
Hundreds of children are neglected every year after living with parents
who are meth cooks. More than 20% of the meth labs seized
last year had children present.
- So how do
we reclaim our towns? We have a three-fold approach:
Enforcement:
Dismantle meth trafficking organizations and both the superlabs that
are trafficking the drugs across state and national borders and the
tabletop labs that produce local supplies. At the federal level, the
DEA goes after the major traffickers. At the local level, the DEA trains
local and state law enforcement agents in spotting and safely seizing
smaller operations. The DEA also assists with clean-up costs of these
labs.
Community Engagement and Prevention: Prevention drug use is the
first step to avoiding drug abuse. Schools, churches, businesses and,
most importantly, families need to be aware of the danger that meth
poses. Parents should not take it for granted that their children understand
the risks associated with a drug like methamphetamine because too many
kids dont. Businesses can also get involved through drug-testing
programs. Retail outlets can also help by controlling the volume of
precursor chemicals any one individual can buy over the counter. This
will help block local dealers from setting up tabletop labs.
Follow-up: Methamphetamine has a phenomenal rate of addiction,
with some experts saying users can get hooked after just one use. Its
not enough to just put the traffickers of drugs in jail, we need to
help those who suffer addiction to heal. Only by breaking that cycle
of demand can we bring lasting change to the entire community. We must
look to treatment and alternative sentencing procedures, like drug courts
and restorative justice, for non-violent users.
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