WHO'S IN DANGER FROM METH USE?

Children: Western North Carolina legislator John Snow tells of a guardian ad
litem coordinator in his district who had 15 children in her care who had
been born with methamphetamine in their blood. They can't stand to be
touched and shy away from light.

Neighbors: Meth makers use highly toxic chemicals. A pound of the drug
yields five to seven pounds of toxic leftovers.

Addicts: Addiction to the powerful stimulant leads to psychotic behavior and
brain damage. Withdrawal symptoms include depression, anxiety, fatigue,

paranoia and aggression. Chronic use can cause violent
behavior.

Emergency workers: Meth lab cleanup requires protective suits and
masks. Watauga County volunteer firefighter Darien South nearly died
while containing a fire in a meth lab in 2003. He lost half of his
lung capacity from being

exposed to the drug's fumes and now takes 10 to 12 medications a day
to keep his oxygen levels up. The fight against meth in Western North
Carolina includes:

- - Buncombe County's new plan to pull social workers in to immediately
help children found in the toxic meth labs.

- - Watauga County's use of the nation's new homeland security measures.
Authorities there in 2003 charged a man accused of running a meth lab
with violating laws involving the manufacture of nuclear or chemical
weapons.

- - Proposed new legislation that would make common cold relief tablets
containing meth ingredient pseudoephedrine an over-the-counter medication.

- - New laws adding prison time for meth makers who endanger children
and adding meth to the list of drugs that can trigger a second-degree
murder charge in overdose cases. What to watch for:

- - Hotel worker: Watch for discarded glassware and blister packs used
for medicine. Report odors of iodine or solvents.

- - Farmer: Pay close attention to levels of anhydrous ammonia, a spray-on
fertilizer often stolen by meth cooks.

- - Merchant: Report the sale of large amounts of cold medicine containing
ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed. Be aware of other easy-to-buy
meth ingredients.

- - Neighbor: A strong, nose-burning odor of iodine or solvents could mean
there is a meth lab near you.

- -Teacher, childcare worker: Signs of neglect in a child. A child
coming out of a home that is chaotic, not clean, signifies that
something is not right.

SOURCE: DEA, Watauga County Sheriff Mark Shook, Dr. Cynthia Brown
About meth

- - Forms: Most often a dingy-colored powder, but sometimes crystals or small,
bright colored tablets.

- - How it's used: Injected, snorted, smoked or swallowed as a
pill.

- - Nicknames: Poor man's cocaine, crystal meth, ice, glass and speed

- - Users: Traditionally white male blue-collar workers, but use is increasing
among diverse groups, including people in occupations that demand long
hours, mental alertness and physical endurance.

- - Effects: Addiction, psychotic behavior and brain damage.

Withdrawal symptoms include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia,
aggression and intense cravings. Chronic use can cause violent
behavior, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, auditory hallucinations, mood
disturbances, delusions and paranoia.

- - Price: One gram usually ranges from $30 to $100.
Meth facts

- - Two percent to 16 percent recovery rate for addicts.

- - Production an environmental hazard. Chemicals used include anhydrous
ammonia and iodine.

- - Emergency workers shutting down meth labs often suffer respiratory
and eye irritations, headaches, dizziness, nausea and shortness of
breath.

- - As of 2003, 12.3 million people in the United States had tried
meth.

- - Forty-four states have introduced or enacted legislation to address
problems associated with meth.

- - Labs produce five to seven pounds of toxic waste for every pound of
meth.

SOURCE: DEA, Watauga County Sheriff Mark Shook, SBI special agent Ken
Razza and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration You can identify methamphetamine users by...

- - Signs of agitation, excited speech, have decreased appetites and
increased physical activity levels. Other common symptoms include:
dilated pupils, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, chest pain,
shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and elevated body
temperature.

- - Occasional episodes of sudden and violent behavior, intense
paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and bouts of insomnia.

- - A tendency to compulsively clean and groom and repetitively sort and
disassemble objects, such as cars and other mechanical devices.

SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse