SENIORS LEARN HORRORS OF METH USE

Senior citizens Thursday learned about methamphetamine, its effects and the
telltale signs of a meth user in the first of a series of meetings to
educate senior citizens about public safety issues. "We want to educate our
senior population on things that can be a hazard to them," said Sandi
Knight, director of Senior Services for Community Action of Southern
Kentucky. "With this kind of thing, they can be the eyes and ears of the
police department. They have a lot of offer - even the people who can't get
around very well anymore - and people tend to forget that." Gerry Johnson
of Logan County presented the seminar at Community Action's Education and
Human Services Center on Fourth Street, which included photos of meth lab
explosions and the havoc wreaked on the body by methamphetamine. Johnson, a
retired mailman, drives a school bus for Logan County High School. As a
volunteer with the Community Action's RSVP - Retired and Senior Volunteer
Program - he presents the seminar throughout Logan County to assist the
sheriff's department. He became interested after tagging along once with
Sgt. Maj. Bob Gregory of the Logan County Sheriff's Department. Johnson
told the audience that 59 percent of methamphetamine users are younger than
23 years old. He said his 14-year-old granddaughter was a catalyst for his
interest in educating the public about methamphetamine. "I want her to know
everything there is to know about it," he said. "I love kids and I don't
want to see anything like this happen to them." Meth users generally die
within about five years of starting the drug. The addiction rate after
first use of meth is about 95 percent. "If you take (meth), you are just
signing a death warrant. That's all you're doing," Johnson said.
Methamphetamine, a narcotic that affects the central nervous system, comes
in crystallized rock-like form, finely ground powder or a chunky form
resembling peanut butter. A new trend, Johnson said, is to add blue food
coloring to appeal to teenagers. Those who cook, but don't use, the drug
generally die within 10 years, due to the toxic chemicals that are used in
the manufacturing process. Those ingredients include lithium from
batteries, gasoline additives, toluene and sulfuric acid, Johnson said. "I
had no idea what was in it and it came as a real shocker," said BJ
McKenzie, an AARP member who attended the seminar after receiving
information in the mail. Signs indicative of meth users are heavy traffic
around homes - especially at night - large amounts of trash on the curb
outside homes, blacked out windows, rapid hair loss and weight loss, and a
strong odor of ammonia or chemicals, a smell that often resembles that of
cat urine. Johnson said the meth addiction rate is quickly spreading and it
is nearly impossible to rehabilitate users. "It's depressing that he says
there's not much you can do about it," said McKenzie, who taught nursing at
Western Kentucky University for 30 years. "Hopefully, the more people who
know the dangers, maybe they'll talk to their children and we can spread
the message a little bit better." - To schedule a presentation for a
church, school or civic group, call the Logan County Sheriff's Department
at 726-2244.