MONSTER METH: RURAL RAGE

Headlines are increasingly dominated by news involving methamphetamine, an
addictive stimulant that has soared in popularity among drug users,
especially in rural Alabama.

"As one writer put it, those who cook meth are the moonshiners of the 21st
century," said DeKalb County District Attorney Mike O'Dell. "District
attorneys from larger jurisdictions tell me they do not have a meth
problem. It appears to be a rural phenomenon. There has been more meth
activity in northeast Alabama than the rest of the state combined."

"I don't think people realize the volume and severity of the meth problem
in DeKalb County," said Gene Cleckler, who works to help addicts recover.

O'Dell said methamphetamine has a high potential for abuse and dependence.
Some common names are "ice," and "crystal." The sugar-like powder is
usually sold in Ziploc bags, then smoked, injected or snorted.

Recovering addicts describe a profound sense of euphoria that makes the
worries of everyday life vanish into thin air. The drug releases high
levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells,
enhancing mood and body movement.

Users can become addicted quickly and use it with increasing frequency and
in increasing doses attempting to keep the same level of intoxication.

Meth users go for days without food or sleep. Many become irritable,
confused, anxious, paranoid and aggressive. Some lose everything in
desperation to keep that high.

One key to the popularity is its availability. A trip to local the hardware
store and pharmacy provides all the ingredients necessary to cook meth and
there are more than 300 meth recipes on the Internet.

O'Dell's office has advised merchants about the precursor materials, but a
Fort Payne man with a shop in Cherokee County recently became the first
person charged in Alabama under a law aimed at those alleged to be selling
large amounts.

The main ingredient in the drug is ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, which
comes from over-the-counter cold and allergy pills or cough medicine. While
the ingredients are found in many households, turning them into meth is
extremely dangerous. A miscalculation can produce a deadly toxic gas
similar to mustard gas used against troops in World War I or result in an
explosion.

"You can drive down the road on any given day and smell meth cooking goin'
down the road. Only in north alabama!" one user wrote on an Internet forum.

Beyond the behavioral aspects, methamphetamine also presents a serious
health hazard.

Meth appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain cells that contain
dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time,
methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can
result in symptoms like those of Parkinson's disease, a severe movement
disorder, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information

Methamphetamine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can
cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes.
Other effects of methamphetamine include respiratory problems, irregular
heartbeat, and extreme anorexia. Meth use can result in cardiovascular
collapse and death.

In this week's series, three former addicts now allied with the Partnership
for a Drug Free DeKalb will share their stories of hitting rock bottom.

We will also examine the efforts by local law enforcement and the court
system to get a grip on methamphetamine, as well as treatment options for
those caught in the grip of the drug.