Blog #13: Substance Abuse – Faces of Meth
I find it hard to accept that I knew so little about Methamphetamine (Meth), and how devastating this drug can be. I am a 52-year-old woman with friends and family members who have suffered through addictions in the past, but never anything as powerful and destructive as Meth. What surprised me the most was the fact that this isn’t a “big city” drug, but can be found in “Small Town, America”, just like the community where I live. Very recently there were a number of Meth-lab arrests in my community, and I recall being so surprised to learn that this is a very common occurrence. I live in a small, agricultural town with a population less than 10,000, where the sidewalks roll up at 9:00 pm, and the whole town goes to the Friday night football games. Sure, we have crime in the community, but I always thought it was fairly minimal compared to the crime rates in Houston, Galveston, and other surrounding communities. I don’t know the actual statistics, but I feel certain that the rising crime rates in the general area are a result of drug addicts, just stealing so they can have money to support their habit. What I’ve learned is that I’ve had a false sense of security about living in a small, quiet community. I believe most of the people in my community are hardworking, honest, genuine people, but even the best person can be ruined by drug addiction.
What surprised me even more is the population, or the profile of a person on Meth: Caucasian, educated, 20-30 years old, working part or full time, and nearly half of the users are women. (Drugfree.org). I must say that the chapter on Substance Abuse, and the supplemental readings and videos this week have certainly opened my eyes to the fact that there is a monster drug out there, and its name is Meth.
Carol Martin
Works cited:
National Institute on Drug Abuse (2007). InfoFacts: Methamphetamine. Retrieved April 24, 2007 from: www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/methamphetamine.html
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Meth/ads.html
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Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteMeth addiction in small town America goes hand-in-hand with meth labs. Be careful about buying or renting a home in your area, as it is likely that meth is being manufactured in homes there. If you're unfamiliar with meth lab homes, I highly encourage you to read my blog methlabhomes.com. Stay safe and healthy!
Dawn
methlabhomes.com
I totally agree with your statement that small towns are decieving. I too live in a small town and have whitnessed the same events. An Illegal drug like meth does not descriminate, anyone can become addicted and that is the scary part. Like you said many people who become addicted to meth are average, white, females, who are educated and hold a steady job. The face of drug abusers is changing and we as Health Educators must change too; if we are to succed.
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