METH: THE ALL-AMERICAN DRUG

Better long-term treatments needed for meth addicts

Methamphetamine addiction crosses all social and economic barriers. To cook
it requires only elementary-level chemistry. To buy it requires a handful of
money.

The Central Iowa Drug Task Force say meth is the most prevalent drug in
Story County. Officers have encountered users as young as 12 and as old as
64.

According to the 2002 Iowa Youth Survey, 21 high school students in Story
County admitted to using meth at least once.

Bob Kerksieck, the Youth and Shelter Services director of chemical
dependency treatment programs, says high school students are more likely to
underreport addiction, so the numbers here may be higher.

"Meth is easer to get than alcohol," he said. "It's all over the place."

Jane Larson, a substance abuse counselor at the Center for Addictions
Recovery in Ames, works three days a week in the Story County Jail. She
estimates 80 percent of the inmates have a drug problem and a "fairly high
percentage" of them use meth as their primary drug.

Both say more resources are needed to fight meth addiction. Treatment has
evolved and can be affective.

"We need more treatment and longer-term treatment for these people,
especially the ones hooked on meth," Larson said. "The reality is that our
funds just keep getting cut and there is such a need for more."

Trends in meth use

At the beginning, there are typically two groups of potential meth users.

One group is trying to balance work with several activities and
responsibilities that make life feel overwhelming. These people see meth as
a way to stay awake and get more done.

The second category includes people trying to lose weight. It's a heck of a
weight loss drug, curbing appetites for up to several days.

"Think about it, we have drugs for everything," said Denise Denton, a
prevention specialist at Youth and Shelter Services in Ames. "We work hard
and we play even harder.

"In my mind, meth is the all-American drug," she said. "Think about what are
American values? We value freedom, a fast-paced environment and we have to
win, and we have to look good. What does meth do? It gives you energy when
you should be tired. It gives people the ability to do more and win."

Meth is a powerful brain stimulant that alters the amount of dopamine, or
pleasure, the person feels. The high or rush a person experiences can last
up to 12 hours. There is a sense of euphoria.

"Once you start using, it becomes a brain thing," Denton said. "The brain
thinks it needs the drug once it gets it, and that person has to have to it
to feel good. Then it gets worse.

"They don't take it because it makes them feel good anymore. They take it
because it doesn't make them feel bad."

Long-term treatment can work

Kerksieck said more than 800 youth in Boone and Story counties annually seek
drug treatment. About 10 percent of those are for meth addiction.

Treatment for meth can require a 60- to 90-day commitment, followed by
several months of close attention. The counseling sessions are usually
shorter because meth users have shorter attention spans. The environment is
calmer. Meth can instantly change a person's behavior.

Treatment has to allow the brain to regain its sense of normalcy.

"It is really amazing," Kerksieck said. "If you get some time with these
people you can make some progress. There are successes. We have to have that
to be able to keep going."

Approximately 163 meth-related criminal cases were prosecuted by the Story
County Attorney's Office in 2003. Other offenders have drug problems that
are not prosecutable, but have led to criminal activity.

"And it is usually not just one drug, it is a combination of drugs," said
Larson of the Center for Addictions Recovery. "Typically meth and marijuana
are what we see. They use one to go up and the other to come down."

Inmates take part in her counseling on a voluntary basis.

As of last month, six inmates were participating in group therapy treatment
and six to 10 inmates were in one-on-one therapy sessions each week.

In March, she had 25 individual sessions with inmates and 13 people in group
treatment. At the same time, she did 10 substance abuse evaluations and 20
drug screens.

"Right now the main focus is substance abuse treatment," Larson said. "The
problem is to be able to keep track of these people when they leave here.
There is not enough time to do it all."

With meth addiction, Larson works with inmates on relapse prevention. She
said research has shown that meth users need longer treatment than typical
drug users.

"We at least want to help them develop a plan so when they get out of here
they have something in place," she said.

There are signs her work at the jail is making headway.

She says the recidivism rate for inmates who seek drug counseling with her
is about 12 percent compared to 60 percent with the rest of the jail
population.

"I think it is a value," Larson said. "At least they are learning something
while they are here and focusing on solutions rather than the problem."