METH STILL DRUG OF CHOICE

Several methamphetamine-related incidents, including fatalities in
the Tulsa area, have heightened officials' concerns.

A pregnant woman believed to be under the influence of
methamphetamine crashed her car in Sapulpa, killing her baby and
injuring her 4-year-old daughter.

A 3-year-old Tulsa County boy was found wandering miles away from
his meth-lab home.

A six-fatality accident over Labor Day weekend led police to a stash
of meth in the vehicle of the man blamed for the crash. The state
Medical Examiner's Office reported earlier this month that the man
had an extremely large amount of methamphetamine in his body at the
time of the accident.

The rash of methamphetamine-related incidents in the Tulsa area only
seems to underscore the assertion that meth remains the drug of
choice in Oklahoma.

"Methamphetamine, which is produced in Mexico and the southwest
United States and locally produced, remains the principal drug of
concern in the state of Oklahoma," according to a U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency report.

The meth problem is not just confined to users and their families.
"The overall health costs can be astronomical," said Jennifer
Glover, director of substance abuse services for the Oklahoma

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

The economic impact of overall substance abuse in Oklahoma is
estimated at between $3.21 billion and $4.38 billion per year,
according to a recent Oklahoma Governor's and Attorney General's
Blue Ribbon Task Force report. The task force based its estimates
on 2003 figures.

Methamphetamines are manufactured in clandestine labs using highly
toxic, flammable chemicals. Local meth cooks use a number of toxic
chemicals such as drain cleaner, lighter fluid, acetone or Coleman
fuel to change pseudoephedrine contained in cold pills into
methamphetamine. This increases the risk of fire or explosions. And
exposure to those chemicals by police, firefighters and emergency
personnel has been attributed to widespread medical problems among
first-responders.

Methamphetamine abuse often leads to increased child abuse or
neglect, emergency room visits due to overdose or injury, criminal
activity and environmental contamination, officials say.

"We know that people who have substance abuse problems make more
hospital visits and get referrals to child protective services," Glover said.

Over the past year, the state has tracked more cases of HIV,
hepatitis B and hepatitis C cases directly related to
methamphetamine abuse, she said.

"It's not only those who use intraveneously, but it happens to
noninjecting users because of the risky sexual behaviors associated
with meth use," she said.

Dr. Michele Fowler, who works in OSU Medical Center's emergency
room, said methamphetamine is one of the most common drugs they see
in patients.

It is a highly addictive stimulant that may cause people to be
promiscuous. It causes people to pick at their skin, causing nasty,
red sores. It rots their teeth, thins their hair, increases blood
pressure and causes abscesses in the spine, Fowler said.

"It seems to be a drug that once you use it, you get hooked on it
immediately," she said. "It's bad stuff. Highly addictive and hard to quit."

While methamphetamine is not the only type of drug that can
devastate people's lives, it is one of the worst, said Wayne
Guevara, a certified alcohol and drug counselor at Palmer Continuum
of Care of Tulsa.

"More people are using it. It's spread across the country and can
touch every single aspect of a person's life," he said.

Nearly a third of people receiving substance abuse treatment through
the state list methamphetamine among their top three drugs of
choice, a 23.6 percent increase from those surveyed in 2000, Glover said.

"With methamphetamines, the way it attacks the body and the dental
decay are different than from other substances. Other drugs are
certainly harmful, but things happen more rapidly with meth use," she said.

In 2004, Oklahoma led a nationwide movement by enacting a law
restricting the sale of over-the-counter cold medicines that contain
pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient in the illicit production of
methamphetamines. More than 30 other states have enacted similar
laws since then.

As a result, meth lab seizures in Oklahoma have fallen dramatically,
from 1,193 in 2001 to 274 in 2005. Unfortunately, the drug flow from
Mexico has increased to supply Oklahoma addicts.

The good news is that more people are seeking treatment for
methamphetamine addiction, according to the U.S. Department of
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

"A person's best chance of recovery lies in residential treatment,"
Guevara said. More rehabilitation opportunities are needed,
particularly for those who have limited resources, he said.

"There are just not enough rehabilitation facilities out there,"
Guevara said. "People are being told there is a 30-day to 90-day
waiting period for admission. These people can't wait."

People with money or insurance can go to Texas or Missouri for
private treatment facilities, Guevara said.

"I see people who've just pawned their last stereo. They can't
afford private care," he said. "There are a lot of people who can't
afford it. But if a person can get treatment, they can recover."