VERY FEW ESCAPE THE CHAINS OF METH ADDICTION

Your April 19 story on methamphetamine was a good article.

I really don't think the public understands how pervasive this drug
has become.

We know a person that became caught up in this. (You should see) what
it has done to her. She was a beautiful little girl with every
possible advantage. She grew up into a stunningly lovely young woman.
Over the years, and a failed marriage, she became involved with meth.

She had two children in the marriage, a girl and boy, and she lost
them both. Today she is a "frequent flyer" and, in her mid 40s,
totally unrecognizable, both as a still chronologically-young woman
and the person she used to be. We do not have contact with her because
we have long realized it is dangerous as her primary ultimate focus is
obtaining drugs.

People need to realize meth addiction leaves no room for honesty,
ethics, loyalty, self-esteem or love. Any veneer of these virtues is
ultimately only a ploy to accomplish the overriding goal of feeding
the addiction.

Meth immediately ages people. It robs them of their intellect and
sense of right and wrong. Unlike some other drugs, I know of no method
to "tweek" and remain a non-addicted contributing member of society.

Children (or adults) contemplating recreational use of meth need to
realize it is an inescapable snare. Meth will addict and enslave.
There is no "pill" or "medicine" or "treatment" that will remove the
addiction. I don't know anyone who is a "cured" methadone addict.

I know there are people who are clean and I know they struggle every
day to stay that way. Their overriding need for drugs is replaced by a
desperate struggle to stay free of them.

The message needs to be "Don't Start." Life is much more fulfilling
for a person of free choice -- meth will surely remove that -- and
very few escape.