THE LITTLEST ADDICT

It started at a party. It ended in a suicide attempt. She'd smoked
marijuana before, but not methamphetamine. When she saw the older
kids doing it at the party, she decided to try it.

She was 12. Now she's 13 and in rehab for meth addiction.

Experts say meth -- a highly addictive and euphoric drug that was
once associated with rural communities and rundown hotels -- is
starting to show up in the littlest addicts. For teenagers who are
now entering the criminal justice system and drug counseling
programs, the appeal of meth is simple -- it's easy to buy and cheap
to manufacture. Another impact isn't as alluring -- it kills.

The girl, who agreed to answer questions about her experience in
exchange for anonymity, is a patient at the Carolina Center for
Behavioral Health in Greer.

The first time she tried meth was at a friend's house. She was there
with three other girls and five older boys.

"I felt like I was going real fast-like. And I felt like I could do
anything, and I stayed up the whole night, and I went outside early
in the morning and it was still dark. I started hearing and seeing
things," she said.

After that night, she started doing meth every day, and her grades
started suffering. She began getting into trouble and lying to her
parents about money.

"I would ask my mom and daddy for money to go shopping, but I was
really buying meth the whole time."

She was able to hide her addiction, even though she went from
weighing 130 pounds to 90.

"I wouldn't do it at my house, and they didn't know what meth caused
me to look like. They didn't know anything about it."

Her parents finally found out after she tried to commit suicide.
That's when she began getting help.

It's been almost two months she's been meth-free.

"All it will do is ruin your life and people's (lives) close to you," she said.

Disturbing trend

Just last month, five area teenagers were charged with possession
with intent to distribute methamphetamines after officers raided a
Gaffney hotel room and found several clear baggies containing a
crystal substance believed to be meth, a pipe and a laptop computer.

Police also found the substance in the car that belonged to one of
the teens. Authorities say the trend toward younger users is
disturbing, but not surprising.

It's been termed "the poor man's crack" because although meth is
cheaper, it delivers a similar high.

"It's supposedly the highest high," said Lt. Ashley Harris, a chemist
with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.

Immediately after smoking or injecting, users say they experience a
short-lived, extremely satisfying sensation. But after a few minutes,
they become agitated and some become extremely violent.

Other possible immediate effects include increased wakefulness and
insomnia, decreased appetite, anxiety, nervousness, convulsions and
heart attack.

Despite its side effects, meth has become a popular drug.

The Spartanburg Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, an outpatient
rehab facility for voluntary and court-ordered clients, has seen a
dramatic increase in meth use so far this year.

In 2005, the commission saw 26 adolescents and adults who listed meth
as their primary drug. So far this year, it's seen 69 -- a 265
percent increase over all of last year in just two months.

Its popularity has increased because it's so easy to obtain, Harris said.

Some Web sites show how to build a meth lab with over-the-counter
cold remedies and common household items like drain cleaner and antifreeze.

State lawmakers are trying to create obstacles that would keep the
key ingredient out of the wrong hands. A proposed bill would limit
the amount of nonprescription cold medicines a person could buy, and
would require them to sign a log that would be sent to state law
enforcement officers every two months.

The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Joan Brady, R-Richland, said a high
school student brought the issue of meth to her attention.

"That's when I realized this was a problem -- even at the high school
level," Brady said.

Seventh Circuit Assistant Solicitor Jessica Thill said the number of
teens using meth has increased in recent years. But other drugs like
marijuana, prescription pills and inhalants are far more popular among teens.

An emerging problem

National studies show that meth has leveled off in recent years.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found
that in 2004 an estimated 1.4 million persons aged 12 or older had
used meth in the past year, and 600,000 persons had used it in the
past month. Those numbers are very close to those in 2002 and 2003.

But counselors are afraid that eventually even more teens will
experiment with meth.

"The problems don't start with meth. They start with cigarettes and
alcohol, and then it's pot and other drugs," said Cindy Stichnoth, an
adolescent therapist with the Greer-based Carolina Center.

The center, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of Universal
Health Services Inc., recently developed an outpatient chemical
dependency program for teens.

Stichnoth said if meth continues to be widely available, adolescents
could move through the other drugs faster or start bypassing them all together.

Last week a 12-year-old girl in Kansas was taken into juvenile
custody after she brought meth to her middle school. So far it's
unknown how the girl got the drug.

Stichnoth said children who use drugs often start because someone
they're close to has a substance abuse problem.

Children may be taken from their parents if they are exposed to
drugs, alcohol or abuse, said Pat Young, program coordinator for
Children's Protective Services.

Young said her office has not had to remove many children from their
parents' homes because of meth, but she knows that the drug is out there.

"It's just not as high as we would think," Young said.

Monitoring meth use is relatively new. Many state and national
organizations are just beginning to collect data on its use.

Spartanburg County's Department of Juvenile Justice interim director
Don Peden said meth shows up periodically in drug tests.

Peden said one-third of the 13- to 17-year-olds he sees have some
kind of alcohol or drug issue, including meth.

"We're seeing more because it's a relatively new drug," Peden said.

Stichnoth said like adults, teens experience behavioral and physical
reactions to the drug, including discolored skin and marks on their
legs and body, as well as dramatic mood swings and aggressive,
violent outbursts.

"With alcohol and cigarettes, it could take 25 years to see the
damage," said the Carolina Center's CEO John Willingham.

"With meth it takes 60 days. That's how intense and devastating it is."