The Meth Epidemic
Thank You
Pamela's Protest
METH: THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS DRUG PART 1 OF 3
Meth really is the mother of all drugs. It's the cheapest, dirtiest and most powerful drug in existence today. It's also the fastest spreading. Meth doesn't kill its addicts immediately. The process is slow, during which it takes an extreme physical and psychological toll. Meth literally rots people's bodies—teeth, face and insides. Frankly, I was appalled by how ugly it made frequent users. I explored the impact meth is having on societies in Portland, Omaha and Bangkok. The reasons people start using the drug differ from city to city.
In Portland, I was shocked to learn that 80 percent of that city's prisons hold people on meth-related charges. Whether the charges are for drug dealing, identity theft or armed robbery, somehow they are connected to meth. Portland's hospitals are overwhelmed by patients admitted for meth abuse. I've always considered Portland to be one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S., but meth's impact on it has been tremendously ugly.
But there is hope. Addicts can recover. I had the privilege of meeting a man in Portland who is six months into recovery. His name is Kobe. Kobe was very good looking, smart and athletic when he got addicted. But meth nearly destroyed his life. I was amazed after I heard his story that he was even alive. The most poignant part of his story was that his parents, who are loving and middle class, told me what a relief it was to learn that he had been arrested and jailed … because that meant they knew where he was and that he was alive.
Lisa Ling
METH: THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS DRUG PART 2 OF 3
Methamphetamine–-“meth”–-is considered to be one of the hardest drugs to quit. This dangerous drug is ravaging rural communities and spreading its poison to major metropolitan areas and across international borders at an alarming rate. What makes this drug so powerful, addictive, and destructive?
National Geographic Channel correspondent Lisa Ling tracks the grimy world of meth from the US to Thailand. Riding with specialised law enforcement agents, Ling exposes the gritty lives of traffickers and addicts. See the faces of real meth users, where before-and-after pictures alone tell a stunning story of the drug's punishing physical effects. But behind the face, the drug has an even more destructive impact on the brain - both physiologically and psychologically.
METH: THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS DRUG PART 3 OF 3
-Production and Distribution-
Until the early 1990s, methamphetamine for the US market was made mostly in labs run by drug traffickers in Mexico and California. Since then, authorities have discovered increasing numbers of small-scale methamphetamine labs all over the United States, mostly in rural, suburban, or low-income areas. Indiana state police found 1,260 labs in 2003, compared to just 6 in 1995, although this may be a result of increased police activity. Recently, mobile and motel-based methamphetamine labs have caught the attention of both the US news media and the police.
These labs can cause explosions and fires, and expose the public to hazardous chemicals. Those who manufacture methamphetamine are often harmed by toxic gases (Indeed, the production of meth is considered environmentally destructive by some). Many police departments have specialized task forces with training to respond to cases of methamphetamine production. The National Drug Threat Assessment 2006, produced by the Department of Justice, found "decreased domestic methamphetamine production in both small and large-scale laboratories", but also that "decreases in domestic methamphetamine production have been offset by increased production in Mexico." They concluded that "methamphetamine availability is not likely to decline in the near term."
Methamphetamine is distributed by prison gangs, motorcycle gangs, street gangs, traditional organized crime operations, and impromptu small networks. In the U.S. illicit methamphetamine comes in a variety of forms, at an average price of $150 per gram for pure substance. Most commonly it is found as a colorless crystalline solid. Impurities may result in a brownish or tan color. Colourful flavored pills containing methamphetamine and caffeine are known as yaa baa (Thai for "crazy medicine").
Crystal Meth / Methamphetamine / Ice - Educational Video PSA
Reduce Speed: A Film about Crystal Meth
The truth is, this increasingly popular synthetic stimulant is extremely addictive – comparable to crack cocaine. And although a growing ... all » number of youth are ready to experience its high, few are prepared for the lows. Reduce Speed highlights five youths' experiences with the highs and lows of crystal meth use on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Their stories, lessons, and photographs will challenge you to examine issues of: youth, drugs, substance use, sexual exploitation, homelessness, hepatitis, AIDS, body image, harm reduction and enforcement in regards to the growing crystal methamphetamine epidemic. For copies, please contact: mediasales@viha.ca «
Pamela's Protest
METH: THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS DRUG PART 1 OF 3
Meth really is the mother of all drugs. It's the cheapest, dirtiest and most powerful drug in existence today. It's also the fastest spreading. Meth doesn't kill its addicts immediately. The process is slow, during which it takes an extreme physical and psychological toll. Meth literally rots people's bodies—teeth, face and insides. Frankly, I was appalled by how ugly it made frequent users. I explored the impact meth is having on societies in Portland, Omaha and Bangkok. The reasons people start using the drug differ from city to city.
In Portland, I was shocked to learn that 80 percent of that city's prisons hold people on meth-related charges. Whether the charges are for drug dealing, identity theft or armed robbery, somehow they are connected to meth. Portland's hospitals are overwhelmed by patients admitted for meth abuse. I've always considered Portland to be one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S., but meth's impact on it has been tremendously ugly.
But there is hope. Addicts can recover. I had the privilege of meeting a man in Portland who is six months into recovery. His name is Kobe. Kobe was very good looking, smart and athletic when he got addicted. But meth nearly destroyed his life. I was amazed after I heard his story that he was even alive. The most poignant part of his story was that his parents, who are loving and middle class, told me what a relief it was to learn that he had been arrested and jailed … because that meant they knew where he was and that he was alive.
Lisa Ling
METH: THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS DRUG PART 2 OF 3
Methamphetamine–-“meth”–-is considered to be one of the hardest drugs to quit. This dangerous drug is ravaging rural communities and spreading its poison to major metropolitan areas and across international borders at an alarming rate. What makes this drug so powerful, addictive, and destructive?
National Geographic Channel correspondent Lisa Ling tracks the grimy world of meth from the US to Thailand. Riding with specialised law enforcement agents, Ling exposes the gritty lives of traffickers and addicts. See the faces of real meth users, where before-and-after pictures alone tell a stunning story of the drug's punishing physical effects. But behind the face, the drug has an even more destructive impact on the brain - both physiologically and psychologically.
METH: THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS DRUG PART 3 OF 3
-Production and Distribution-
Until the early 1990s, methamphetamine for the US market was made mostly in labs run by drug traffickers in Mexico and California. Since then, authorities have discovered increasing numbers of small-scale methamphetamine labs all over the United States, mostly in rural, suburban, or low-income areas. Indiana state police found 1,260 labs in 2003, compared to just 6 in 1995, although this may be a result of increased police activity. Recently, mobile and motel-based methamphetamine labs have caught the attention of both the US news media and the police.
These labs can cause explosions and fires, and expose the public to hazardous chemicals. Those who manufacture methamphetamine are often harmed by toxic gases (Indeed, the production of meth is considered environmentally destructive by some). Many police departments have specialized task forces with training to respond to cases of methamphetamine production. The National Drug Threat Assessment 2006, produced by the Department of Justice, found "decreased domestic methamphetamine production in both small and large-scale laboratories", but also that "decreases in domestic methamphetamine production have been offset by increased production in Mexico." They concluded that "methamphetamine availability is not likely to decline in the near term."
Methamphetamine is distributed by prison gangs, motorcycle gangs, street gangs, traditional organized crime operations, and impromptu small networks. In the U.S. illicit methamphetamine comes in a variety of forms, at an average price of $150 per gram for pure substance. Most commonly it is found as a colorless crystalline solid. Impurities may result in a brownish or tan color. Colourful flavored pills containing methamphetamine and caffeine are known as yaa baa (Thai for "crazy medicine").
Crystal Meth / Methamphetamine / Ice - Educational Video PSA
Reduce Speed: A Film about Crystal Meth
The truth is, this increasingly popular synthetic stimulant is extremely addictive – comparable to crack cocaine. And although a growing ... all » number of youth are ready to experience its high, few are prepared for the lows. Reduce Speed highlights five youths' experiences with the highs and lows of crystal meth use on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Their stories, lessons, and photographs will challenge you to examine issues of: youth, drugs, substance use, sexual exploitation, homelessness, hepatitis, AIDS, body image, harm reduction and enforcement in regards to the growing crystal methamphetamine epidemic. For copies, please contact: mediasales@viha.ca «
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