GEM COUNTY CONFRONTS NATION-WIDE ISSUE

Gem County is receiving a lot of scrutiny about methamphetamine use
right now. Court records show the majority of felony crimes are
directly related to meth use. Over the last few years, this use has
increased at a time when the number of labs "cooking" it in vast
quantities has diminished. Most of the meth now coming into the
Treasure Valley comes from Mexico, stored in a pastoral local where
there's little law enforcement while it awaits shipment to the rest
of the country.

Getting this under control involves the local residents reporting
suspicious activity, calling more than once if need be. Gem County
Prosecutor Tim Fleming has pledged to file charges on every case possible.

A town meeting earlier this month brought information about the hold
meth grabs on those who use it. In a collaborative effort involving
law enforcement from city, county and state, Idaho State Police
Captain Don Van Cleave spoke how meth controls a person.

"Meth is the most powerful stimulant known," stated Van Cleave. Even
so, the ingredient list is quite remarkable "most of the ingredients
are poisonous on their own. Combined, they are one of the most lethal
ingredients out there." (See photograph.)

Van Cleave said most of the labs nowadays are small, for personal
use. They can be fired up randomly based on who's using how much.
Children living in homes where this is a regular occurrence can have
problems similar to those who regularly use meth. The average cleanup
of a meth lab costs about $3,000, but he has seen them cost as much
as $80,000 to clean up.

In other addictive substances-alcohol, cocaine, heroin,
marijuana-once the initial withdrawal is over, cravings last nine to
12 months, said Van Cleave. Cravings for meth lasts years, three to
five depending on whom one talks to. Some will say the cravings last
much longer. With many of the court-ordered programs lasting less
than a year, this can set an addict up for failure by not having
programs that last as long as the strong cravings.

Reasons for using the drug are probably as varied as the people who use it.

It usually results in a "high" that includes a euphoric rush, energy,
confidence, anxiety, impaired judgment, reduce appetite and insomnia.
People on meth can go days without sleep. This high is followed by a
severe low bringing home the law of physics for every action, there's
an opposite and equal reaction. The low includes depression, fatigue,
hypersomnia, decreased concentration, increased appetite and anxiety
or paranoia.

Crystal meth is usually more pure than the powdered meth. One gram of
meth is about the same as what's in those little sweetener packets at
restaurants. It's usually consumed by snorting (up your nose, smoking
(usually in a pipe) or injecting into one's veins.

Because of the toxic nature of the ingredients, a person who uses
meth starts to deteriorate from the inside out. It usually doesn't
take long with a chronic user.

Those who have used meth a lot before their incarceration usually
come to the jails with medical problems. On average, each inmate
needs three tooth extractions. On the day of the meeting, there were
27 former meth users in the Gem County Jail. The County taxpayer paid
for each tooth extraction, a cost of nearly $10,000 a month. There
are other medical issues each faces as well.

Because of the deterioration that's happening internally from the
poisons ingested, it doesn't take long for other people to notice
changes externally. For many meth users, their skin becomes covered
in self-inflicted sores. The drug can make their skin feel itchy,
like bugs are crawling on it. The person picks at the skin. Because
their immune system is in bad shape, healing is slow or nonexistent,
resulting in open sores on the skin.

Making a dent in this crisis is up to each person. ISP has only six
officers who specifically work drug cases in the southwestern 10
counties. One Emmett Police Dept. officer has partnered with ISP on
cases with Emmett connections. However, drug cases seldom stay
confined to one small geographic boundary. For instance last summer a
drug-related murder took place on Oasis Road in Gem County near the
Canyon County line that involved warehousing meth by several Mexican
nationals with no other ties to Idaho.

Now, the majority of meth used in the northwest is manufactured in
Mexico in vats that make up to 25 pounds of the powdered or crystal
substance. It's brought up to Idaho where it's stored and then
distributed. Idaho is one of a handful of states that imports meth
that's distributed to the entire country (albeit illegally).

If you have information for police, all EPD at 365-6066, Gem County
Sheriff at 365-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 343-COPS. You may remain anonymous.