Sad. Is nowhere safe from Meth and crime?

[firebirdgold]

There''s a nice quiet town nearby in the mountains that looks like someone froze the 1950''s, even though it''s a high-tech company town. My fi and I have been playing with the idea of moving there because he works at the company and because it''s so safe. Leave your doors unlocked, your purse on the back of your chair in starbucks, women can walk at midnight by themselves kind of safe. It has the highest church per capita ratio I''ve ever heard of, and it''s a very non-materialistic place where the mountain bikes cost more than the cars and no one has even heard of fashion. People move there to raise their kids someplace safe where the main activities are band practice and healthy outdoor activities.
The only non-traffic crimes are related to the fact that generators and tractors tend to develop a few hundred feet and shuffle quietly away at night. Five years ago crime was so rare that if your house was broken into you''d have the entire police force swarming the place for days gleefully coating your house in fingerprint dust. The place has highly trained and very very bored cops.

But lately I''ve noticed an increase in thefts. Money and credit cards stolen from cars and fraudulant credit card use. There''s also been an increase in people arrested on drug charges. Today I read the paper and the police responded to reports of gunfire and discovered a Meth Lab! Granted it was in a teenagers bedroom (one has to wonder why the parents didn''t notice a flipping meth lab in their house), but it was full of drugs and handguns! Aren''t there any safe places anymore? What is it that''s causing Meth to corrupt places that were untouchable before?

 

[mia15]

That is sad. Meth is such a disturbing problem and unlike other drugs, is less visible.

Indie, I think I know the town you''re talking about and I have to say, I''m surprised. But I think the police will have enough time and attention to give to the problem. I''ll be following the story with interest!

 

[firebirdgold]

Yes, there goes anyone's theory that drugs are a problem solely for economically and educationally challenged locations. Or under-policed areas for that matter.

 

[mia15]

Exactly - I do hope it''s an isolated case, though. The fact that it''s a kid could argue that, (probably a kid taking some great chemistry classes!) but I suppose even the quietest towns have to change sometime.

 

[sumbride]

Actually the meth "epidemic" is much more prevalent in rural areas than in cities because meth labs tend to need to be "in the middle of nowhere" so when they blow up nobody notices. It''s also a very cheap drug and trafficking of it is huge in small towns, even idealistic places like you described. Oregon seems to have the worst of it, but it''s invading small towns all over the country. It''s sad but true that crime will continue while it remains a problem... meth corrupts the brain more than other drugs... it actually sort of rots the brain. The images of a meth brain are amazing and scary. My sister was on it for a while and she has almost no memory, her teeth fell out, her skin is spotted and she still has liver problems. And she lives on a ranch in rural Arkansas. Definitely not some place you would think of when you think "druggie" but that''s exactly why meth is such a horrible problem in this country.

 

[lizz]

I attended a training on methamphetamine a few months ago. It is amazing and scary regarding how easy it is to make with stuff you can get at your local drugstore (cold medicine and batteries). The health effects are horrible.

 

[marvel]

sudafed it the main ingrediant (i think) and is sold behind the counter where i live.

 

[Fancy605]

The presence of Meth in the town where I work is ridiculous. Our principal is having a guest speaker come talk to all this teachers about it. He will even show us how to make it because he said, "you are the only ones who don''t already know how." Which is true. We had an explosion near by last year, and I said, "wow, what was that?" My kids said, "Sounds like a meth lab." (unphased of course) It turns out, it was.

Oh, and one of the worst things I have heard is how quickly it is spreading among cheerleaders b/c it "makes you skinny." Right--and then of course your teeth fall out and your organs shut down. I mean, the stuff''s made of what-- nail polish remover, motor oil, and Sudafed- no wonder you start falling apart.

And with that said, one of the most disturbing things I have ever overheard as a teacher was a conversation between 2 of my 13 year old cheerleaders where one said, "You''re lucky that you''re so skinny naturally cause you''ll never have to do meth."

I would say it is such a big problem around here because the ingredients are all legal and easy to get. (but who ever thought to mix them?)

 

[Larissa]

I worked in Child Protective Services in one of those cute little safe towns you refer to and meth was the number one reason I removed children from homes. We all went to training, but nothing prepares for the first time you meet a meth parent and realise that you will be removing their child in the near future. It''s highly addictive, easy to get ahold of, and sooooo explosive. I''m surprised the house didn''t blow up. Meth is super unstable and the smallest thing sets it off.

It''s really unlikely to be an isolated incident. Meth kills everything in it''s path and is super cheap. If the kids were cooking it then they were probably too addicted to see past their own propane fuel. And if they were selling it, others in town are probably addicted as well.

 

[innerkitten]

Thats sad. I don't feel like any place is safe these days. Oh and where I live in San Francisco the big problem seems to be heroin. Also a lot of the homeless here are heroin addicts among other things.

 

[perry]

I see the biggest problem as a result of the information age. Internet access and internet groups spread information and "culture" faster than it used to be.

Heroin has been arround for hundreds of years - and used to wax and wane in popularity.

Other things as well.

When I was growing up those "secret" labs were making LSD - and their was a significant drug culture arround that drug. Most kids got the message in my town when two teenagers walked into the emergency room at the hospital saying they did not feel good - and collapsed. 1 died and the other will never get out of the state mental institute. In addition one of my freinds blew his mind on LSD and was permanently admitted to the state mental hospital.

I am told that LSD is still available - but at effectivness levels about 1/10 of what it was in the late 60''s early 70''s. Even at those low levels - its recognized by many youth as a "dangerous" drug.

Cocain, meth, and a few others seem to be the modern choices. Truely unfortunate. Many people get into Mfr business just for the money (its cheap to make if you take a lot of risk - and pays well). My understanding is that many people making it do not use it - they are just in it for the profit.

Restrictions on getting cold medicine - a good base to start from - can be gotten arround.

I don''t see a solution as to how to stop this - or even limit it much - that will be accepted by the public. Mandatory drug testing - with frequent random drug test - as a condition of all employment would do a lot to end the drug culture. Certain businesses have adopted that already. More have adopted pre-employment drug screening with very occasional random test.

If people, and kids, knew that using illegle drugs would make them unemployable - then I suspect they would look at the situation differently. Currently all they see is that the vast majority of people get away with it.

Perry

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 10/7/2006 7:35:42 PM
Author: Fancy605
And with that said, one of the most disturbing things I have ever overheard as a teacher was a conversation between 2 of my 13 year old cheerleaders where one said, ''You''re lucky that you''re so skinny naturally cause you''ll never have to do meth.''

WOW - and I thought people taking up smoking to lose weight was stupid....

That''s a dangerous road and I can''t believe a 13 yo would say that or have ever HEARD of that. Very, very sad.

 

[lumpkin]

When I was a teenager there was alcohol and marijuana. And pregnancy. I can''t imagine growing up with coke, heroin, meth and ecstasy. I live in fear of my boys going to middle school, where I think most of that begins.

 

[cpster]

Meth is everywhere...low income to middle/high income neighborhoods. It''s truly a horrible epidemic and I''m happy to see more and more media coverage. Everyone needs to know about meth especially since it''s a monster. People can get addicted after one use. It''s cheap to obtain and quitting is extremely hard. There is no treatment similar to methadone for heroine.

There is hope though. Spread the word and for anyone dealing with a loved one that is an addict, I highly recommend http://www.kci.org for support and knowledge. I have a dear friend working recovery now...and it''s been a rough two years almost. Learn not to be an enabler early on.