METH A POPULAR DRUG IN COUNTY

Twoyear 'Epidemic' Still On Rise, Experts Say

Some Law Officials Wary Of Reported Usage

By Teresa OwenCooper, The Gazette

Methamphetamine use in El Paso County is three times higher than the
Colorado average and continues to rise, local and state public health
officials say.

Methamphetamine is the third most popular drug in the county, with 15
percent of drug users in treatment programs saying they snort, smoke or
inject the white powder. Statewide, 5 percent of drug users in treatment
programs say methamphetamine is their drug of choice.

Only marijuana and alcohol are more prevalent in El Paso County, with 87
percent and 32 percent of abusers, respectively, saying they use those
drugs most often.

The information is based on forms completed by clients at publicly funded
drugtreatment programs overseen by the Colorado department of Human Services.

"This whole epidemic started about two years ago and it has continued",
said Mercedes Harden, program manager of the McMaster Center for Alcohol
and Drug Treatment at the El Paso County Department of Health and
Environment. "It's out there, and we want the public to know. This is a
warning," Harden said.

It comes after a 16yearold Woodland Park girl died in a car crash in
Teller County. She tested positive for methamphetamine, and the Colorado
State Patrol listed the cause of the accident as driving under the
influence of drugs.

Some local law enforcement officials, however, said they were cautious
about the statistics. They say methamphetamine use may be more often
reported in the Colorado Springs area than in other communities.

"Maybe more people are aware of services and going in for treatment to get
off of it," said U. Paula Presley, spokes woman for the El Paso County
Sheriffs Office. Regardless, health officials say there's a problem.

There's no way to pinpoint the reason for the higher reported use in El
Paso County, but they attribute it to two factors. The growing Colorado
Springs area is surrounded by rural areas, making it easier to manufacture
the drug in home laboratories without being detected. Strong odors are
emitted during the manufacturing process.

Also, Colorado Springs is on Interstate 25, making it easy to transport
from Mexico the ingredients to make methamphetamine, as well as the drug
itself. Authorities have been monitoring purchases of overthe counter cold
medicines and other chemicals used to make Methamphetamine. Those aren't
regulated in Mexico.

'The availability and demand has far exceeded cocaine," said Kent Florence
of the Colorado Springs office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
In 1994, 5 percent of drug users in El Paso County said they chose
methamphetamine, the Health Department said.

Since then, use has risen sharply among teenagers, especially girls. About
70 percent of teen age girls and 80 percent of teen age boys at the
McMaster program say they use methamphetamine. "Ten years ago, we rarely
saw it," said Suzanne Smelker, an adolescent therapist at the McMaster
program. "Now, we see it a lot".

The appeal: The high lasts up to 12 hours, provides users with a great deal
of energy and acts as a weighloss pill.

"It was something to do,' said Lindsay, an 1&yearold Colorado Springs
woman who sought treatment about eight months ago after discovering she was
pregnant. "Having energy. That was great. My house was clean, and I never
felt bored."

Lindsay said she took methamphetamine off and on since she was 18. But she
says she hasn't used methamphetamine since becoming pregnant and warns
others about its dangerous effects.

"I didn't think I'd get addicted," she said. "1 thought it would be like
drinking a beer. That would be it. But it's not."

People on Methamphetamine show unusual behavior:
Increased energy
Nervousness
Need little sleep
Weight loss or poor appetite
Paranoia
Irritability and unpredictable, violent behavior

HOW TO GET HELP

When public health officials began seeing an increase in methamphetamine
use two years ago, they began a fulltime outreach program to encourage
people to seek treatment.

Two Health Department workers visit people on the streets, in parks and in
bars several times a week. The Health Department also offers treatment
programs. Programs are confidential and fees are based on ability to pay.

Source: El Paso County Department of Health and Environment