Series: 3 Of 16

THE DRUGS OF CHOICE

A number of residents in Talladega and St. Clair counties are speeding -
not in their cars, but in their brains and bodies, through the use of
crystal methamphetamine. The powerful central nervous system stimulant
joins cocaine, marijuana and opiate painkillers such as Lortab, Lorcet,
OxyContin and the heroin-like Dilaudid as the most commonly abused illicit
drugs and prescription medications in the area, according to law
enforcement officials and addiction specialists.

Talladega County officials are predicting a future increase in the use of
ecstasy, a methamphetamine derivative, especially in young people.

Methamphetamine

The Talladega County District Attorney's Office first started hearing about
predicted increases in meth production, sale and use in 1995.

The drug hit the county hard in 1999.

Since then, meth cases the county handles have about doubled annually, said
Assistant District Attorney Barry Matson, project director of the county's
Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

The county had roughly 700 annual felony cases before meth's recent rise.
Meth and crimes related to its use, such as thefts addicts commit to pay
for the drug, have added between 200 and 300 cases to the load of the
District Attorney's office annually, District Attorney Steve Giddens said.

In the mid 1990s, the county busted its first meth lab. During the past
year, the force discovered 22 labs in the county, said Matson, who is also
the prosecutor assigned to the force.

St. Clair County District Attorney Van Davis said his office saw the
prevalence of meth start to increase in the county between 1999 and 2000,
and in the past two years, meth has "shown up everywhere."

Meth addicts comprise about 50 percent of the patients treated for
substance abuse at Caradale Lodge in Sylacauga, said Gary Garner,
coordinator of substance abuse services at Cheaha Mental Health.

Produced in makeshift labs often in people's homes or garages, meth's
manufacture utilizes the over-the-counter medications ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine and other chemicals, many of which are available at grocery
and hardware stores.

Meth comes in the form of a rock like crack cocaine but is darker in color,
said Pam Campbell, detox coordinator and counselor at Caradale.

Meth can also take the form of chunky crystals that look like shards of
glass or ice, both of which are street names for this form of the drug,
according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Meth is smoked, ground into a powder and snorted or diluted with water and
injected.

These methods of use cause the drug to enter the blood stream more quickly,
create a greater euphoria but also increase the dangers of use as opposed
to taking a stimulant orally, said Dr. Stephen Bowen, Caradale's medical
director.

Like most drugs, meth works by affecting the way the brain processes
chemicals called neurotransmitters. Brain cells release these chemicals,
which travel the tiny distance between cells. The cells use these chemicals
as a way to communicate with each other.

Neurotransmitters play crucial roles in thought, perception, mood and
functions of the body.

Meth stimulates the brain to release norepinephrine but also indirectly
affects levels of serotonin and dopamine, Bowen said.

These changes result in increased wakefulness and physical activity.

Tom, a meth addict receiving treatment at Caradale, said the drug made him
feel good and gave him energy. "There was nothing I could not do" while
under the influence.

He started using meth because he felt tired all the time and needed energy
for work. After hearing of this, a supervisor introduced him to the drug,
Tom said.

Meth also causes increased respiration and body temperature and decreased
appetite. Other effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors,
anxiety, paranoia and aggressiveness, the institute states.

Increased temperature and meth-induced convulsions can lead to death.
Increased heart rate and blood pressure can cause irreversible damage to
vessels in the brain, which can result in a stroke, the institute states.

With the decreased need for the sleep the drug causes, addicts often stay
up for days on end. Tom said the longest he went without sleep while using
was 18 days.

High dosages of meth used for extended periods of time can lead to
amphetamine psychosis, a state characterized by paranoia, delusions and
hallucinations. The addict can become violent during this time.

Meth's manipulation of neurotransmitters depletes the amount of these
chemicals in the brain. This results in a depressive state, sometimes
profound, after the drug wears off and use is stopped, Bowen said.

Animal research shows that high doses of meth damage the endings of certain
brain cells. While the cells do not die after use, the endings are cut back
with limited apparent regrowth, the institute states.

Tom said he believes his meth use has caused long-term memory loss.

Researchers do not know with certainty if stimulants like meth and cocaine
create a physical dependence in users, that is, they suffer unpleasant
physical symptoms if use is stopped abruptly, but it is a known fact meth
use can lead to addiction, Bowen said.

Addiction is defined as the continued use of a drug despite the negative
consequences it causes, such as problems with the law, loss of a job, and
disintegration of health and relationships, Bowen said.

Many addicts, but not all, are physically dependent on drugs, and it is
possible to be dependent on a substance but not addicted to it, he said.

Tom said he experienced a withdrawal coming off meth. He was sick with
stomach problems.

What began as occasional use for Tom turned into an everyday habit after
about a month. He forged checks to support his habit and was later jailed
for forgery. He was also shot over drugs.

He soon realized he could not afford the amount of meth he needed buying it
from dealers. He then turned to manufacturing the drug, he said.

His seventh-month jail sentence gave him "time to think." Such reflection
led him to realize he wanted a different life and he sought help with his
addiction, he said.

According to Campbell's clients, meth is extremely addictive. They have
told her, "You may use it once and not go back on it. Use it twice and you
are done for," she said.

Tom called meth "the most addictive drug on the market."

How addictive meth is depends on the person. Some develop problems faster
than others. It is harder for someone to do meth casually and not develop a
problem than it is for someone to do the same with other drugs, Campbell said.

Tom warned anyone considering trying meth not to do it. "It can ruin your
life."

Cocaine

Giddens said the majority of drug cases in Talladega County involve meth or
cocaine, especially in its smokeable form, known as crack.

Crack gained notoriety in the 1980s as a drug associated with A number of
investigators have shown that heavy ecstasy users experience a variety
psychiatric changes. The users score higher on measures of obsessiveness,
anxiety, paranoia and sleep disturbances, the institute states.

No one study proves definitively that ecstasy causes permanent damage to
human memory, but a growing body of evidence suggests the drug can have
long-lasting effects on memory, the institute states.