SISKIYOU AUTHORITIES TACKLE METH PROBLEM

Methamphetamine, known to some as "the devil's drug," has developed
into a huge problem for all of society, not just those who have spent
years attempting to rid themselves of their addiction to it.

Methamphetamine, commonly known as "meth," "crank" or "speed," has
become a social problem because of the thousands of people addicted to
it and a financial drain on taxpayers who finance hundreds of
rehabilitation programs for addicts and their families throughout
California.

Relatively inexpensive to buy on the street, meth is a central nervous
system stimulant that affects the natural chemicals in the brain that
control concentration and brain function.

"By the time you recognize addiction, it's too late," said John
Proveaux of the Department of Justice in Redding. "Because of the
chemical changes meth makes in the body, just one use can be a life
altering experience."

Proveaux is a special agent supervisor with the California Narcotics
Investigations Division in Redding who has spent 26 years in the
enforcement of California's drug laws. According to him, "Where meth
goes, violence and destruction follow."

The financial impact

The financial impact that meth has on California's taxpayers is
enormous and its effects are being felt in the state's hospitals,
schools, jails, courtrooms and neighborhoods, Proveaux said. More than
20,000 children were placed in foster care in central California
during the past year after their parents were arrested for the
manufacture, sale or distribution of meth, he said. In some areas of
the state, social workers estimate they spend up to 90 percent of
their time on meth-related cases.

People who manufacture meth not only create the product they want, but
also manufacture thousands of gallons of toxic waste with every batch,
Proveaux said. For every pound of meth manufactured, six pounds of
waste is created. He said Producers often dump their waste into city
sewers, septic tanks, rivers, irrigation canals and along the nation's
roadsides, requiring California taxpayers to spend $10 million a year
to clean up these dump sites.

Dave Dunwoody was recently named as Siskiyou County's Task Force
Commander. He said when a meth lab is discovered by law enforcement,
it is reported to the Office of Emergency Services (OES) in
Sacramento, which manages the clean up of meth lab sites. As the lab
is processed, chemists from the Bureau of Forensic Services take
samples and each item is placed in plastic and numbered for evidence.
It took more than 37 hours to clean up a meth lab site in eastern
Siskiyou County recently discovered by the Task Force. Dunwoody said
it is not uncommon for the clean up costs to run as high as $30,000.

Dunwoody said 4,000 labs were discovered by law enforcement nationwide
last year, with 1,700 of those labs found in California. The relative
ease with which meth can be obtained or manufactured, makes the
production of meth a problem being felt in every segment of
California's society, even by people who do not use it or are not
personally acquainted with anyone who does.

The crime

Dunwoody was a deputy sheriff in Siskiyou County for eight years
before taking a job with the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. He
worked in drug enforcement in Los Angeles, Redding, Sacramento and in
Glenn and Tehama counties, before returning to Siskiyou County earlier
this year.

He said he agrees with the sheriff and police chiefs in a number of
Siskiyou County cities that methamphetamine is at the root of most
crime here and throughout California. According to Dunwoody, a person
addicted to meth becomes totally dysfunctional in a very short time.
With a drug habit to support that can cost up to a couple hundred
dollars a day, a meth addict who no longer can hold a job, turns to
property crimes to pay for his addiction.

The changes meth makes to brain function causes addicts to become
involved in cases like driving under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, child abuse, and domestic violence, he said. For those who do
have a job and are using meth in the workplace, California employers
are forced to pay hundreds of dollars each year in increased workers'
compensation insurance premiums to protect not only the meth user from
injury, but everyone working around him.

Large-scale operations

According to Dunwoody, large-scale commercial meth labs operated by
Mexican nationals are becoming more and more common. Laborers are
employed to tend to marijuana gardens during the growing season and
then manufacture methamphetamine at another time during the year.

"These people are all heavily armed and are willing to shoot it out
because they are getting paid to do it," Dunwoody said. "These guys
are highly trained people predominantly hired by Mexican national
organizations."

People involved in the drug trade have always carried guns, but
instead of a .22 rifle, they are now arming themselves with AK-47s.

"The fire power is unbelievable," Dunwoody said.

As the amount of money to be made increases, Dunwoody said workers are
becoming more and more protective of their investment. Some are being
paid as much as $200 a day to protect the garden or lab, plus a
percentage of the profits at the end of production. "It is a very
dangerous situation," Dunwoody said.

If you should run onto something in your neighborhood that you suspect
could be a meth lab, Dunwoody asks that you call your local police or
sheriff's department and report it. You can keep your call anonymous
if you contact Siskiyou County's Secret witness program.

"We follow up on all tips that we get, whether from a police agency or
anonymously," Dunwoody said.

The process

Part of the problem is that meth is so easy to produce, Dunwoody said.
Meth producers can manufacture their product in less than 24 hours and
will rent a motel room or apartment just long enough to complete the
cooking process and move on. The health risks left behind for the next
unsuspecting tenant or the property owner are enormous, Dunwoody said.

Chemicals used in the manufacturing process can eat through the
flooring, window coverings, and walls of a building. If a "cook" has
been recent, Dunwoody said you can feel a mist lingering in the air as
you walk through a room. Red stains left in sinks, toilets, walls and
on carpets can be an indicator of acids that have eaten fibers away.

People involved in removing hazardous waste after a meth lab has been
discovered say it is almost impossible to completely clean up the
chemicals left behind. Testing for the presence of meth chemicals
inside a rental unit can be done, but Dunwoody said it can be very
costly and something the average renter or property owner usually
cannot afford.

The user

People like Proveaux and Dunwoody find it easy to pick out someone who
is using or under the influence of meth, but for others who do not
know what to look for, it can be a challenge. Both men say there are
physical and psychological signs that will give a meth user away.

"Any central nervous system drug will cause increased heart rate,
elevated blood pressure and dilated pupils," Dunwoody said.

He said people tend to drink excessive amounts of water, are not be
able to stand or sit for any length of time, stay awake for two or
three days at a time, experience weight loss, and develop facial and
body sores. Some even lose their teeth. Withdrawal can produce
depression, paranoia, irritability, violent mood swings, anxiety,
hyperactivity and other aggressive behavior.

Parents who suspect their child has become involved with meth, are
sometimes reluctant to report their child to law enforcement. DARE
Officer Dennis Melum has been teaching Siskiyou County children about
the dangers of meth and how highly addictive it is for years. Melum
said it is crucial for parents to get help for their children as soon
as they suspect that drugs may be involved in their child's life.

"If you cannot reach them and you know they are using, you only have
one choice and that is to get law enforcement involved," Melum said.

He said some parents minimize their child's involvement, blame the
school or their child's friends for what is going on. Some will cover
up for their child and try to "fix" the problems their child is
routinely getting involved in because of their addiction. But Melum
said parents have to take an active role in getting their child back
on track.

"Reporting them to law enforcement may be a tough decision, but it is
much easier than watching your kid deteriorate into a liar, a
criminal, and a rack of bones because you don't want him to go to
Juvenile Hall," Melum said.

Proveaux, Dunwoody and Melum all agree that people who try to get
control over their addiction have a tough battle ahead of them because
meth is something that will be with them forever. Success rates in
recovery are disappointing, according to some, but it is not because
of the lack of effort on the part of treatment facilities.

Early detection is crucial because of how highly addictive meth is and
the physiological effects it has on the body. Adults who need help
with their addiction can contact Siskiyou County Behavioral Health for
a referral to a rehabilitation program or a local Narcotics Anonymous
or Alcoholics Anonymous group.

Teens who are not comfortable talking to their parents, can contact a
nurse or counselor at school or DARE Officer Dennis Melum, who says he
is always available to help Siskiyou County youth in any way he can.