METH DESTROYS USERS' LIVES, BODIES

The rise of methamphetamine use in Sevier County is cutting the lives of
addicts short and damaging their bodies severely along the way.

Methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug, has been around for years but did
not become a problem in Tennessee until the mid-1990s. In the last five
years, the problem has skyrocketed, with a dramatic increase within the last
year.

The 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse estimated 8.8 million
people, or four percent of the population, have tried meth at some point in
their lives.

Sevier County law enforcement has seen a rise in the number of meth
producing labs in the past year. Officers are being trained to handle it,
but the problem could grow worse, and as the availability of the drug grows,
more and more people are becoming addicted.

Bob Garrett, a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor with The Steps
House in Knoxville, which is a residential recovery program for substance
abusers, said five years ago they had no meth addicts in their program.

"Right now out of 90 clients, seven to 10 are crystal meth addicts," he
said. He said some of them were from Sevier County but would not specify how
many.

Garrett said the average life span for a meth addict after their first use
is seven years, which is much shorter than for any other drug.

There are no Sevier County detoxification programs available but addicts may
go to more long term treatment centers in Knoxville like The Steps House or
the Helen Ross McNabb Alcohol and Drug Addiction Center, according to
Garrett.

The effects of short and long term use can be very destructive, experts say.

Keith Farrar, 40 , of Manchester, Tenn., is a former meth addict who now
counsels others at The Steps House.

Farrar began using meth in 1991 and began making it in 1997.

"It went from bad to worse," Farrar said.

In January 2000, Farrar was arrested for manufacturing methamphetamine and
spent time in prison in 2001 for the offense.

Farrar said when he went to jail, he decided to turn his life around.

"I made a decision to stop," he said. "I wasn't sure if I could do it. It
was a miracle I wasn't killed."

Farrar described the destruction it caused in his life and those around him.
He has seen people die from explosions at meth labs.

"I've seen people with $40,000 to $50,000 jobs lose everything in one year,"
he said.

Farrar has lost all his teeth and is still not able to sleep regularly as a
result of his use. He said the long term effects of his addiction are yet to
be seen.

Farrar went to The Steps House as a resident after he was released from
prison and has been a counselor there since March.

Farrar is an exception to the rule - according to the U.S. National Guard
Counterdrug Division, 95 percent of addicts cannot be rehabilitated.

Methamphetamine is a "very potent central nervous system stimulant," said
Maj. Nik Gentry, of the counterdrug division, at a recent law enforcement
conference in Gatlinburg.

"Meth is basically tricking the brain into having the most incredible
experience," he said.

It causes the brain to release larger than normal amounts of dopamine, the
body's natural feel-good chemical, causing an intense high.

"Researchers have reported that as much as 50 percent of the
dopamine-producing cells in the brain can be damaged after prolonged
exposure to relatively low levels of methamphetamine," according to the
National Institute on Drug Abuse.

A high on the substance can last from four to eight hours, longer than
cocaine, but the crash afterward is so hard that users often immediately
seek another high, Gentry said.

This physical dependency leads to continuous binging. One extended binge
caused a user to stay awake for over a month, one official reported.

Meth can be taken in a variety of ways: drinking it in a beverage, smoking
it in a crystallized form, injecting it or snorting the powder.

It is a crystal white powder in its purest form, Gentry said. The substance
can also appear yellow in color.

If the drug is injected intravenously, the user experiences a rush or
"flash" that lasts a few minutes and is extremely pleasurable, according to
NIDA.

Snorting meth produces an effect in about three to five minutes and oral
ingestion produces an effect in about 15 to 20 minutes, NIDA reports.

It can be smoked like crack cocaine in a glass pipe producing an effect that
can last up to 12 hours or more. Residue left in the pipe can then be
resmoked, according to NIDA.

Once the rush is gone there is usually a state of extreme agitation that can
lead to violent behavior in some users, reported NIDA.

Before it became an illegal substance, meth was used to treat depression,
narcolepsy and Parkinson's Disease. However, the minimal benefits are
heavily outweighed by the damage of long-term use, officials say. The drug
is a Schedule II controlled substance.

A variety of symptoms are associated with methamphetamine use, Gentry said.
These include agitation, excited speech, decreased appetite, increased
physical activity, dilated pupils, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea and general psychotic tendencies.

Users might have an increased sensitivity to noise, display nervous physical
activity, and have extreme anorexia, increased heart rate and high blood
pressure, Gentry said.

It can also cause a sensation of insects creeping on the body, causing users
to repeatedly scratch and clean their skin resulting in numerous open sores.
Some users might wear concealing clothing, even in summertime, to cover up
their sores.

Garrett reported many users lose their hair and teeth and their skin turns
gray.

Officials report those binging on methamphetamine can stay awake for days or
even weeks. Rapid weight loss is also seen in heavy users.

Such rapid weight loss is often an alluring aspect of the drug for young
women who are unhealthily worried about their appearance, Gentry said.

Addicts often appear to look much older than they actually are.

Over 10 percent of Tennessee high school students surveyed in 1999 by the
Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported having abused methamphetamine at least
once in their lifetime. Girls reported having used it only less than one
percent as much as boys.

Meth users could also be at risk for contracting the HIV virus and hepatitis
B or C due to the sharing of dirty needles to inject the drug. It may also
cause sexual dysfunction, especially in men, in the long run, according to
NIDA.

NIDA says meth use can cause irreversible stroke-producing damage to small
blood vessels in the brain. Hyperthermia and convulsions occurring with
overdoses, if not treated immediately, can result in death.

"Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense
paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that
can be coupled with extremely violent behavior," reports the NIDA.

This is all just if the meth is cooked properly. Poor quality meth has been
known to kill some users through lead poisoning.

Experts say the most effective treatment for addicts so far has been
cognitive behavioral interventions. This helps modify a patient's thinking,
expectancies and behaviors and increase skills in handling stress, according
to NIDA.

Recovery support groups have also been effective in long-term recovery.

No medicinal cure has been found to treat those recovering from addiction
but anti-depressants are often used in combatting depressive symptoms that
follow abstinence from meth.

Garrett said there are not many current treatment options for meth addicts
in the area but if someone is willing to be serious about recovery they can
call The Steps House at 1-800-816-0888.