USA: Meth addicts come from all walks of life

It's being called America’s new drug crisis. Methamphetamine has crept across the country and climbed up the social-economic ladder.

The faces of meth abusers may surprise you. They are educated, they're housewives wanting to be super-moms and white collar professionals.

In the shadows, a waif-like woman with caved cheeks and an addict’s nervous tremble embodies the new, unusual face of meth.

"You start looking haggard. And you let things go," said meth addict “Taylor.” At 44, educated, and a mother, she may not be who you envision when you think of a drug abuser.

"I have a great degree, but I can't seem to get into a good job because I'm dirty and also because my thinking isn't there anymore. I've used so much. Basically what it’s done is made my life stand still."

Like the draw of a thumping beat, meth seduces its users, giving them endless energy, making them feel sexy. It has spread to the gay club scene in New York and California.

The drug’s popularity has also prompted a support group called Moms Off Meth in a small town in Iowa. Federal statistics show 12 million Americans have experimented with methamphetamine.

"It has spread across all of the demographics," said Don Lincoln of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Norfolk. "We've got housewives using it. We've got professional people, doctors and lawyers using it."

"Taylor" was introduced to the drug while working as a bartender in Oregon 20 years ago. She began snorting, eating and injecting it into her veins. She even let “meth cooks” make the drug in her home.

"So I always got a really good stash. I'd also get money and if I wanted to buy some, I'd always get a good discount," she says with a rueful laugh.

Nearly caught in a drug sting, Taylor retreated to Hampton Roads, wanting to change her life. She found drugs were harder to shake than the cops.

"Every day it’s a struggle. Every day I want to do some ‘get up and go.’ It makes life easier. It blunts the reality of it. "

Experts say meth can be harder to kick than crack. Taylor says she's hoping weekly drug counseling sessions at the Norfolk Apostolic Church will help curb her addiction, because this dangerous road could lead to her demise.

“I feel like I need to change 100 percent. I would like to never do drugs… to change. I can say that, I can talk the talk, but so far I haven't."

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org/amphetablog.html
Pubdate: Fri, 11 November 2005
Source: WVEC (USA)
Reporter: Ramona Parks
Website: http://www.wvec.com/
Copyright: WVEC 2005