METH PHYSICALLY CHANGES USERS' APPEARANCE

It started when a deputy in a county jail in Oregon wanted to get a
good look at the woman's face who was in the holding cell. She could
not hold still long enough for him to see her and he went to the
computer to pull up a previous mug shot.

The difference in her was so dramatic because of methamphetamine
addiction that he was prompted to create a slide show using before
and after mug shots of meth addicts to show the devastation of the
drug. These photos and his story can be found online at www.facesofmeth.us.

"Meth use started on the west coast 30 years ago," said Rachel Wood,
certified prevention specialist with Brown County Recovery Services.
"It has taken awhile for it to reach us, but it is now like a
wildfire spreading across the U.S. and it is here in Brown County.
Authorities have found 150 meth labs within the county. It is not a
small thing."

The physical effects of meth on users are obvious. Users experience
weight loss, to the point that it puts added stress on the organs of
their bodies; tooth decay, which quickly destroys teeth and gums;
sores and rapid heart beat. The psychological effects include
anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.

Users often exhibit repetitive movements called "tweeking" because
the drug breaks down the central nervous system. It can also cause
brain damage leaving the addict with symptoms similar to Alzheimer's
Disease and epilepsy. The drug also ages the system very quickly.

Those who are addicted can lose all moral and ethical inhibitions and
often engage in unprotected sexual relations with each other and
their children.

Many users suffer from delusions of parasites or insects crawling
under their skin and can obsessively scratch their skin to get rid of
these imagined insects.

Statistics from the Ohio Resource Network show that 84.5 percent of
meth users have a high school diploma, 58 percent of them are
employed, 91 percent are Caucasian and 76 percent of users are
between 21 to 40 years of age. More than 12.4 million Americans have
tried methamphetamine. Anyone can be a meth user.

There is no known treatment for meth addiction at this time and 90
percent of those who seek treatment will suffer a relapse because the
drug is so highly addictive.

"It used to be that about three to five percent of our clients came
here for drug counseling, but now about 15 percent of those we see
for drug counseling are a direct result of meth," said Stan Makrinos,
with Brown County Recovery Services.

Brown County Recovery Services offer outpatient substance abuse
services for children, adolescents and adults. They also offer
extended treatment with a 90 to 120 day program for chemical
dependency treatment. To find out more, contact their Georgetown
office (937) 378-4811 or their Mt. Orab office (937) 444-6127.