The Faces of Meth: A Startling Trend in Our Communities

Maybe you’ve heard of it referred to as “speed”, “crystal”, “crank” or “ice.” However, regardless of what name you use, it all refers to the same drug – methamphetamine.

According to www.whitehouse.gov, “The production and use of methamphetamine is a serious threat to the health and safety of our communities.  Meth is an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain and has a high potential for abuse. Most of the methamphetamine abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment.”

“Meth,” as the drug is commonly called, can be found in the form of a white or yellowish crystalline powder, crystals or a pill. Common composition of the drug includes pseudoephedrine (a decongestant), and a number of toxic ingredients like lye and drain cleaner. Meth can be snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed, although smoking has become the most common method recently. Because the addiction factor associated with meth is so extreme, it is important to educate individuals on the mental and physical effects associated with drug use.

The effects of meth use on the brain can be withdrawal marked by depression and anxiety, long-term cognitive impairment, delusions/hallucinations, obsessive behavior, paranoia, uncontrollable behavior, addiction, aggression, memory damage, impaired judgment and the inability to experience pleasure. While these symptoms may not be immediately noticeable by those around a user, the physical signs often raise a big question mark. Once a person begins using meth, it doesn’t take long before their outside appearance starts to take a hit.

Some of the physical signs of a meth user include: rotting teeth and gums, hair loss, involuntary muscle contractions, uncontrollable twitching, facial tics, open sores, and weight loss. “Meth mouth,” which refers to the dental damage as the result of using meth, is usually caused by lack of saliva, decreased blood flow, tooth grinding or clenching, poor hygiene and poor diet. However, not only does the user suffer from the mental and physical abuse of drugs, but so do the children and those around them.

Based on information provided by the Federal Interagency Task Force for Drug Endangered Children, “A drug endangered child is a person, under the age of 18, who lives in or is exposed to an environment where drugs, including pharmaceuticals, are illegally used, possessed, trafficked, diverted, and/or manufactured and, as a result of that environment, the child experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; the child experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, medical, educational, emotional, or physical harm, including harm resulting or possibly resulting from neglect; or the child is forced to participate in illegal or sexual activity in exchange for drugs or in exchange for money likely to be used to purchase drugs.”

In 2013, based on information provided by the Virginia State Police, the state of Virginia saw a total of 408 reported meth lab seizures. That number is significantly higher than in 2012, when there were only 282 cases reported.

There were three reported meth lab seizures in Campbell County in 2013 and a total of five in Lynchburg. The Virginia State Police have no records of any seizures in the counties of Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg, Prince Edward, Mecklenburg, or Brunswick in 2013.

“Just because there haven’t been any reported meth labs seized in our area in the past year doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” said Virginia State Police Special Agent J.J. Lacks, coordinator of the Tri-County Drug and Gang Task Force. “This past weekend’s significant number of arrests related to meth distribution are a clear indication that meth has found its way to Charlotte and Lunenburg counties.”