METH EPIDEMIC AN OKLAHOMA TRAGEDY

It moved from the West into Oklahoma and, once here, moved from the country
to the cities. Methamphetamine has been moving from the manufacturer to the
user at an incredible pace, making Oklahoma one of the top five states for
meth addiction.

In recent weeks, The Oklahoman's multi-part series on the problem, "Meth:
Shattered Lives," has told the story of an epidemic health and safety
problem, the impact of which goes far beyond the shattered lives of
addicts. Unlike other drugs, which are imported into the state, meth is
made in Oklahoma -- possibly in a house not far from yours. The
manufacturing process is dangerous because it can result in explosions and
fires.

The fatal shooting by police of an alleged meth lab operator in south
Oklahoma City early Friday was the latest in a string of meth-related
violence in the state. Through reporting led by staff writer Tom Lindley,
the newspaper series has documented why every Oklahoman must start paying
attention to the meth problem. According to a 1999 study, methamphetamine
use in Oklahoma was 42 percent higher than the national average. Among
adults between the ages of 26 and 34, the rate is 80 percent higher than
the national average.

Methamphetamine is a potent form of a stimulant that chemists have been
perfecting since the early 1900s. It was given to patients to treat
"sleeping sickness" and extreme cases of obesity in the 1930s, but only in
dosages of 2.5 to 15 milligrams per day. Lindley reports that meth users
today may consume up to 1,000 milligrams every three hours.

The relapse rate among users who've sought treatment is higher than with
almost any other drug. The coordinator of a multi-agency team combating the
problem told Lindley that as much as 30 percent of the working population
could be at least experimenting with meth.

For the user, meth brings a feeling of euphoria. The "rush" is almost
immediate, and the high lasts far longer than that of crack cocaine. For
the manufacturer, the motive is money. A meth cook can turn less than $100
in equipment and ingredients into street drugs worth about $1,200.

Police are so busy tracking down and destroying meth labs that other
drug-related offenses sometimes have to be overlooked. "We should be
focusing on the mid- and upper-level narcotics dealers, but we've had to
refocus on meth," one drug enforcement officer told Lindley.

In 1997, 10 meth labs were busted in Oklahoma City. The rate has climbed
15-fold. In 2000, 946 meth labs were seized statewide, compared with only
20 five years ago. This year is sure to break the record; 475 labs were
busted as of June 30. Oklahoma County has spent more than half of a
$750,000 two-year federal meth grant in the first six months. Oklahoma City
recently became No. 1 in the nation in per capita meth lab seizures.

Lindley found that the physical and emotional toll of meth addiction is
ruining thousands of lives. This is why the meth problem is not simply a
matter of private citizens doing their own thing behind closed doors. It's
everybody's problem.

Gov. Frank Keating has designated meth addiction as public health enemy No.
1. Across the state, reports of child abuse and neglect are increasing, and
"toxic babies" are the latest victims of the meth war. In the last year in
Tulsa, 52 newborns tested positive for meth. The sharing of dirty needles
has led to a hepatitis C outbreak and an increase in liver failures.

There's no quick fix for the meth problem. Enforcement, though expensive,
must continue because of public safety concerns over meth labs. More public
funds will be needed for treatment, but for some users no amount of
treatment will stop an addiction. Educating potential users on the
shattered lives that will result from meth is vital.

The Oklahoman's series on meth has contributed to the education process.
Now that we know more about what meth is and what problems it's causing, we
must support the crackdown and urge our representatives to go all out in
combating this menace to public safety.