METH IS TAKING ITS TOLL IN REGION

The synthetic amphetamine, meth, has significantly invaded rural
counties and devastated lives and communities in its path, according
to drug treatment coordinator Beverly Kennedy.

Kennedy coordinates outpatient therapy at PathFinders in Gallatin,
Tenn., a center which serves many in southcentral Kentucky.

At the center, counselors use a video tape entitled: "Crank County."

The video documents the effects of meth that leads parents to neglect
their children and others to see harm around every corner, according
to Kennedy.

In the past two weeks, Logan County has earned the title of
southcentral Kentucky's crank county.

An anonymous complaint led to the arrest of five people on meth
manufacturing charges around midnight Wednesday, making the already
overwhelmed Logan County Sheriff's Office and Russellville Police
Department tackle at least 10 labs in two weeks, according to Logan
County Sheriff Dannie Blick.

A complaint of possible meth manufacturing led to the arrests of
Ronald E. Bock, 37, and Paula Wilson, 34, of Elkton, and Pamela
Holden, 22, Micheal Carneal, 31, and Heather Norris, 21, all of
Lewisburg. All but Carneal are facing manufacturing meth charges and
additional drug charges. Carneal is facing possession of controlled
substance charge. All remain lodged in Logan County Detention Center.

The Logan County Sheriff's Office and the Russellville Police
Department participated in the bust which netted anhydrous ammonia,
ether, lithium and decongestant tablets, 20 grams of suspected
methamphetamine and a gun from the site at 201 Dunmor Deerlick Road,
according to a sheriff's statement.

Blick attributes the rash of labs in recent weeks to a concerned
public that has learned to recognize the drug's tell-tale ingredients
and signs in order to tip law enforcement.

With each arrest and each lab comes additional information about
another existing lab or one in the making, Blick said.

"It's like farmers waiting for rain," Blick said. "You wait and you
wait. You gather information over a period of time. It kind of grows
and you move from one case to the next one. Every time we make an
arrest, every time we take down a lab, we get information that will
take us a little bit further."

Unlike the stereotypes of other drug sellers as being relatively
drug- free when it comes to personal usage of their wares, meth users
seem to defy that typical standard and are users themselves, Blick
said.

The dangers of a meth lab are not only the explosive ingredients such
as anhydrous ammonia and ether, which are used in the manufacturing
process, but the fact that people high on the mind-altering substance
are making batches of the drug with measurements of rat poison and
strychnine, Kennedy said.

While the high from cocaine may last 15 to 20 minutes, the highs from
meth, which is available in pills, powder, capsules or chunks, can
span several hours and give the user feelings that they are full of
energy and are invincible.

Users are jittery, fidgety and their mind races, according to
Kennedy, who has worked with meth addicts.

The potential danger of someone under the effect of meth should not
be underestimated, she said.

Hallucinations and paranoia are common, including cases where a user
thought an intruder was breaking into their home and unknowingly shot
and killed their grandmother, she said.

Users tend to think their performance of any activity is enhanced
while under the drug's influence, but that's far from true, she said.

"They truly think they see people out there trying to harm them,"
Kennedy said. "It affects their thinking. If they're moms they end up
neglecting their kids because their minds are out there."

The powerful effects of the drug are hard to shake and the
psychological side effects include severe depression during
withdrawal, Kennedy said.

Often someone will use the drug to stave the depression and wind up
in jail again for an additional offense.

The time-consuming decontamination of the labs have taxed many of the
smaller agencies in southcentral and western Kentucky that are hoping
for assistance from state or federal authorities.

Budget-strapped Logan County recently cut back the sheriff's budget
by $90,000, causing the loss of two deputies and two vehicles.

In April, Rep. Ron Lewis, R-Cecilia, announced that Warren County
will receive $250,000 in federal money to be used for equipment,
overtime and training. The money has not yet arrived, but is
scheduled to sometime this year.

A similar request has been passed by the House, but the certainty of
the money or the amount won't be ascertained until September,
according to Kathy Reding, spokeswoman in Lewis' office.

If the money is received, they will study which areas in the second
district have the highest need and allocate it appropriately, she
said.