THE ANTHRAX EPIDEMIC

Did you think the anthrax scare was over? Well, it's not. I'm not
talking about the debilitating disease that postal workers were
exposed to in the aftermath of 9-11. I'm talking about the epidemic of
drug use among teens and young adults in Hunters Point today.

The latest high to hit the drug scene is crystal meth. Called
"anthrax" because of the near-death appearance it gives its
connoisseurs, crystal methanphetamine, or "glass," is a dangerous
high. Also called "krank" or "Tina," its ingredients can be found at
your local hardware store, and recipes are posted all over the world
wide web.

In the past 10 years, this drug could most easily be found burning in
the suburbs. Upper-middle class White kids indulged freely, and their
parents, often former users themselves, sent them to rehab before
households fell apart. Its newest users, though, are as young as 14
years old, living in the ghettos of San Francisco. From the Tenderloin
to Sunnydale, it's got a hold on our most innocent victims.

Anthrax, like crack cocaine, is easily accessible and fairly
inexpensive. Veterans are usually pipe smokers or "shooters," but new
tweakers are smoking it in cigarettes and, more commonly, using it to
lace marijuana. The "upper" affect of this drug, along with the
"downer" affect of weed, can cause unpredictable mood swings, violent
outbursts and paranoia.

Most teens would be surprised to learn that they are consuming
heavy-duty cleaners and insecticides along with a host of other
potentially fatal chemicals. However shocked they may be, once hooked,
it's nearly impossible to kick the habit.

One16-year-old user admits to staying up for three or four days
straight, refusing to eat, drink or leave the house, because he is
convinced that someone is "trying to poison him." He was admitted to
SF General Hospital twice for severe dehydration and may suffer
permanent damage to his brain, stomach and lungs.

He seems of sound mind while sober and his mother has convinced him to
undergo an intense detox program at the end of the month, but even he
has a bleak outlook on his future. "I wish I never met her," he sings,
joking that one day maybe he'll be able to volunteer at a rehab center
and teach kids not to be as stupid as he was.

Another addict, only 19 years old, admits to getting addicted after
trying it just twice. She thought the drug was useful because it
helped her to stay awake. Only weeks after her first hit, she found
herself plagued by roaches in the corners of her spotless room.
Roaches that no one else could see.

It's been nearly 11 months since then. Her mother, Evelyn, realized
there was a problem only after the young lady had lost so much weight
that her college counselor contacted her at work.

"I figured she was grown and she would know not to use dope. I guess I
was wrong," she says. Since they can't afford a rehabilitation center,
this youngster, along with her mother, has decided to take weeks off
to try and kick the drug. I wish them luck. Withdrawal is painful, and
most, unable to bear it, return to "Tina's" clutches in the end.

Our best defense against this menace is prevention. No matter how busy
they are, parents, teachers, relatives and friends must inform our
youth about the consequences of drug use.

Open our eyes and identify the symptoms: sudden bursts of energy and
mood swings are things to take note of. Loss of appetite and
disheveled appearance in otherwise clean-cut kids are other signs to
look for. If you spot them, don't ignore them.

Get your kids tested and treated fast! Kids who are in households
where parents or relatives are drug users are most at risk. So curb
your habit if you have one.

This epidemic starts in the home and spills out to poison our
communities. Even the dealers turn out to be their own best customers.
We all must be steadfast and prepared to save our children before it's
too late.