Shortly after the report was released, the article points out, the Senate passed legislation aimed at stopping methamphetamine production by limiting sales of cold medicines that are utilized in making the drug. Meth abuse was once rampant on the West Coast but has gradually reared in its ugly face in the South and Midwest, where use was once rare but where more and more meth users are requiring treatment at rehab centers.
"It's not that the prevalence of meth is changing, but the addictive nature of this drug and the meth crisis is showing up in drug treatment programs," said Mark Weber, an associate administrator for the agency. "They're being overwhelmed by the number of people showing up for treatment."
There were 18 states that had meth treatment rates that were higher than the national average. Those states include Oregon, Hawaii, Iowa, California, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Montana, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri, Idaho and Kansas. Northeastern states showed the lowest rates.
Experts note that the reason methamphetamine abuse has become so rampant is because it is easy to make and, in comparison to many other drugs, meth is cheap. Unfortunately, it’s also highly addictive.
"You get can get addicted to meth very quickly and the slide downward is much faster than drugs like alcohol, marijuana or heroin," said Stephan Arndt, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa and director of the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation.
"These people crash and burn fast," Arndt said. "Health goes down, you're not eating, you're not sleeping. You're more likely to lose the car, lose the wife, lose the house and your job."
By: Posted: Oct 23 2006 03:25:24 PM