kidsmoke Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I'm deep into the excellent book "Methland" by Nick Reding....seriously disconcerting, very well researched, but very readable despite the intense subject matter. It got me to wondering whether those of you in other parts of the country, or the world for that matter, see the effects of methamphetamine use around you. It is said that my area is practically the center of the meth universe (southern CA, especially inland of L.A.) and I see local news stories all the time that, even when meth use isn't mentioned, show the hallmarks of people behaving with the classic meth paranoid delusions. I see people around town sometimes, and they may not realize it but their appearance is a giveaway....too thin, pocked skin, jittery behavior, haunted looks. (Some of the paranoia really is because people are looking at them!) This drug sure messes people up, even rewiring the brain. Sad, sad stuff. The book discusses how certain businesses like the meatpacking industries tend to foster meth use because of how it allows a worker to work hard for long long stretches, even double shifts. Fascinating book, highly recommended. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SarahC Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 It practically impacted my back yard about 5-6 years ago. For a while we'd had really shitty neighbors. They practically ignored their kids, and a lot of times the 2 youngest would come over to our house and ask to "borrow" milk/bread/sandwich meats. They had no supervision whatsoever, and one time my mom found one of the kids in the middle of the street laying down. She asked her what was going on, and the little girl said she was hoping to get run over to "meet Jesus and run away from mommy". My mom called the police. My dad had also noticed a lot of in/out traffic over at their place, and also called a friend of ours who works for the Soddy Police, and they started to drive by a lot. The neighbors had really mean looking pit bull dogs that roamed around, and they were super aggressive, even almost killing my dog (on our property). They came over to our house and the mom and her sister scared me to death. Both were eat up with sores, and rail thin. They promised to pay the vet bill. I told them to eat shit and die (subsequently got grounded for that). I'd never seen people that actually looked like death before. That summer, I noticed a generator outside of their house running really late at night (1 or 2am) and in the morning asked my dad if the power had gone out, because when I went to walk the dog the generator at there house was still running. It looked like it was going under their house. All the while the mom of the family was pregnant. Shortly after I noticed the generator, I was going inside from the car, and heard these terrible screams. In the morning I told my dad about it. That afternoon I got home from school and there were Meth task force trucks and Hazmat trucks next door. There were police cars in our driveway, the neighbors driveway, and the driveway on the other side of them. Apparently, the screams I'd heard were the mom giving birth in the back yard. The police told us that the people had been running a meth lab out of the bottom of their house, and they had "shake and bake" stuff going on upstairs. The mom had apparently taken so much meth, that she decided having her baby in the backyard was a good idea. It was all at once heartbreaking and terrifying. I still wonder about those kids sometimes.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The High Heat Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Meth production may well be NC's fastest growing industry, so much so the state has taken to cover meth lab cleanup costs for cities and counties because those costs (between $3K to $10K per) rapidly drain local budgets. Establishing state-run regional response teams is in the works. I live in NC's 10th largest town, which also is home to NC's 3rd largest university. The college is known more for having fun than for academics, so I'm sure this town is facing a big problem; although meth use is more likely being used more by non-students. I can't personally say I've seen that many people with the tell-tale signs, but there are regular reports from around the region of busts (sometimes of people in pharmaceuticals), and of house, apartment, garage, and hotel room fires/explosions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 ah meth...if there ever is to be a zombiepocalypse, this, my friends, this will be the cause. sarah, my wife works as a social worker for the state just a county or so north of you (monroe), and she has to remove kids all. the. time. because of this abomination that causes desolation (as mentioned...the rewiring of the brain). and, high heat...i've backpacked the at from springer to just north of the nolichucky river in east tn/western nc. the zero day i took in hot springs, nc was eye opening. i honestly thought i was in a george a. romero movie. i wanted to go to a pawn shop and get a ball bat and a sawed-off shotgun so i could rest easy. it was me and three buddies walking the trail, and we got a room in a little motel right by the river. all of the doors looked like they had been broken into. my suspicions were exacerbated by the fact that the first room we were given smelled like cat piss (a hallmark of meth production)...at dinner at the paddler's pub, we were cased by a duo we affectionately called "itchy and scratchy" for obvious reasons. when we realized what was going on, two of us raced back to our room to check. i think our actions spooked them, but that didn't prevent me from barricading the door with the dresser that night. one evening, we drove down to a sister small city to eat at this little hibachi place that is tasty. at the main intersection in town at a dairy queen, there was a mobile meth lab bust where a really intelligent couple had decided to produce meth in the trunk of their car. oh, and speaking of mobile meth labs and the at, there was another spot on the at in nc south of the smokies where we walked into a gap with a highway. the scene looked like one from a movie: cop cars, fire trucks, folk on fenced handcuffed...all because of a mobile meth lab. so, it's bad here in east tn/western nc, the appalachians, and i've heard it's even worse further north in ky and especially wv. my guess is that it is due to not being educated coupled with being poor and needing the money, and probably comes from moonshine culture. for a while, i think that pot supplanted the stills, but this meth, jeez...terrible, scary stuff. this book sounds fascinating, and there is something fascinating about why people choose to destroy themselves. what little i've read about it astounds me. one thing i remember is that after six months of casual use, you have to use meth to climax sexually, just because that's the portion of the brain it stimulates, the dopamine producing area, and, after a year, you can no longer attain sexual climax...these may be scare tactic statistics, but that's enough for me! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Ah, Sarah, those poor kids! As much as the foster care system is flawed, I hope those kids were taken away and now live with some form of stability! With the parents cooking, can you imagine how much exposure they had? And that poor newborn sure got off to a rocky start in life. Thank God they didn't wind up burning their house to the ground. How horrible for you to live next to that! Heat, it sounds like meth is thoroughly entrenched in NC. The book makes a strong case for pseudoephedrine (meth's precursor) to be available only by prescription, or for cold medicines to use other formulations that do not provide the necessary ephedrine to meth cooks, or even to simply have limits to how much Sudafed or similar products a person can purchase before a "stop-sale" kicks in (refusing to make the sale). So far, lobbying by various factions...big Pharma, who are making bundles off of pseudoephedrine sales in cold medicine formulas, and groups such as the largest pharmaceutical retailers (WalMart, Target, RiteAide, CVS, etc.), have thwarted the best efforts of anti-meth leaders. As usual, it all comes down to money....while lives and entire communities are being f*cked up. welch, wow, your stories could come straight out of the book. It is primarily set in the tiny farming community of Olewein, IA (pronounced OL-wine) and describes how, during one of the worst stretches, "batchers", people cooking small individual batches, devised a scheme that they felt would make it harder for authorities to trace them by the telltale ether & cat-piss smell: they began making batches on mountain bikes, while riding around the countryside or even right down Main Street, with the meth cooking in a bottle strapped above the rear tire! They figured the constant movement would dissipate the smell!! It really is a fascinating book. Everything, not too surprisingly, traces back to the Mexican drug trafficking organizations, who can spot a lucrative market when they see one. But it's beyond that...the author examines how the globalization of our world has combined effects to help create this monster. Yet another problem with meth is that it feeds right into the core American value of getting ahead by working harder....so, if you can work longer and harder.... Yikes, it may be a long time before we solve this one, and the cost is incredible, both in monetary and societal terms. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ih8music Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 one time my mom found one of the kids in the middle of the street laying down. She asked her what was going on, and the little girl said she was hoping to get run over to "meet Jesus and run away from mommy".That's the saddest thing I've read in a long time. damn. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I think it's everywhere. Two of my wife's stepsisters (stressing that there is no blood relation at all) are in jail for manufacturing and distributing. I think it's the second time in prison for both of them. Might be the third time for one of them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Queen Amaranthine Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I live in meth heartland (Iowa and Missouri are among the country's meth capitols, since the ingredients are plentiful in the agricultural community and are easy to steal or access freely). Sounds like North Carolina is up there in rank too. I know of Olwein, IA and sadly it's kind of typical of many small towns now. On my way to work I drive through a neighborhood that includes a couple of blocks notoirious for the occasional meth lab explosion. I suppose I could take another route to work, but this is the quickest route, and during the day it is a quiet neighborhood posing no problems for commuters passing through. Sad to see, especially given that I live in a pretty small community. So much for small town wholesomeness--there is no such thing. It brings to mind the movie Blue Velvet. Living in a community this size, I know a few recovering meth addicts, and on the positive side of the whole mess, it's amazing how some people are able to overcome their use/addiction. The ones I speak of are now active members in the community--one is a counselor for drug abusers and alcoholics, and clearly he knows the demons they face. Others are employed in other jobs; one is even a successful business owner raising a family. When one young man I know told me that he was a recovering addict, although I chatted with him about it (if one can "chat" about such things, we did), I thought to myself that I didn't believe him--he was too clean cut, too bright, and too "with it" to possibly have been a meth addict. However, awhile later a coworker of mine who I know is in AA, spoke highly of that younger guy, who attends AA meetings for support and whose story is shockingly true. Of course these individuals are exceptions, though. Theoretically, legalization of drugs is a good idea for eliminating drug trafficking and underground drug trade. However, the ease of meth and the power of its addiction is just too great. It's not something to mess around with recreationally, yet too many people just don't get that. It's arguably the primary reason drug legalization wouldn't be feasible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The High Heat Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/methamphetamine-burns_n_1222925.html Uninsured meth users contributing to closures of hospital burn units. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The High Heat Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 From the DEA: Missouri is the elite in meth production, while Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky are holding their own. Considering what's happening in their surrounding states, Georgia and West Virginia seem to have oddly low numbers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 i knew Indiana was bad, but I didn't realize it was so bad as that chart above shows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fif1435 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I wonder if the reporting is all equal among the states. I mean, why would Indiana be more than 2 times higher than Illinois? Do all states define "clandestine laboratory incidents" the same, for example? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 i knew Indiana was bad, but I didn't realize it was so bad as that chart above shows. Ft. Wayne is mentioned several times in the book, Wendy. It has to do with the chicken packing plants, which hire a lot of hard-to-track Mexican illegals (not to start up that whole immigration debate!) who make it easier for the Mexican drug trafficking organizations to place sellers within that setting. I wonder if the reporting is all equal among the states. I mean, why would Indiana be more than 2 times higher than Illinois? Do all states define "clandestine laboratory incidents" the same, for example? I wondered that too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fif1435 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Ft. Wayne is mentioned several times in the book, Wendy. It has to do with the chicken packing plants, which hire a lot of hard-to-track Mexican illegals (not to start up that whole immigration debate!) who make it easier for the Mexican drug trafficking organizations to place sellers within that setting. Are there many...any...chicken packing plants around Ft. Wayne? I'm not that familiar with the area, so maybe there are, but it doesn't really ring a bell... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Well, what do I know, but the book seems to think Tyson (the chicken, not the Mike) has a big presence there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fif1435 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 The Tyson website list Indiana locations in Corydon, Logansport, and Portland. I guess those last two might be close enough to Fort Wayne to be considered so for the point of the book.Okay, sorry to derail. Back to the subject at hand.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Wow, this is a surprising--and heartbreaking--bunch of stories. I'm barely aware of this in my area (Norfolk, VA), so either I've had my head in the sand or it's not that big a problem locally. Considering how easy it is to get a legal prescription for "soft" stimulants like amphetamine salts (adderall, etc.) and the fact that they can give you that jolt of energy with few negative effects, it's honestly puzzling to me how prevalent it sounds like this drug is. It must be a whole other experience. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The High Heat Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I think some of those stats are influenced by how aggressive some states/localities are in addressing the meth issue. I read somewhere that NC shot up the charts because of the concerted efforts to get the meth production in check before we end up like our western neighbors. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Queen Amaranthine Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I think some of those stats are influenced by how aggressive some states/localities are in addressing the meth issue. I read somewhere that NC shot up the charts because of the concerted efforts to get the meth production in check before we end up like our western neighbors. It makes sense that factors like that would influence the numbers on the map. The map does give a good picture of how prevalent the drug is in various regions, but as discussed above, there are some questionable numbers. Also, Iowa's number must be higher than that. Then I look at neighboring Minnesota and wonder how can that be so low? Wow, this is a surprising--and heartbreaking--bunch of stories. I'm barely aware of this in my area (Norfolk, VA), so either I've had my head in the sand or it's not that big a problem locally. Considering how easy it is to get a legal prescription for "soft" stimulants like amphetamine salts (adderall, etc.) and the fact that they can give you that jolt of energy with few negative effects, it's honestly puzzling to me how prevalent it sounds like this drug is. It must be a whole other experience. Much of it is underground, it seems. Kidsmoke mentioned seeing users in public, and on occasion in my town I see people strung out too, but not often. However, from what I hear from acquaintances I mentioned above, it's a very real, close problem. It's probably used behind closed doors for the most part, at least once users develop that level of paranoia. Thank goodness I don't know that much about it. Given what all is out there, it really is puzzling! It's cheap and easy to make, which is probably its appeal. Plus it probably is quite lucrative in the drug trade. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 i knew Indiana was bad, but I didn't realize it was so bad as that chart above shows.Wow, crazy. Maybe the law inforcement is just more on top of stuff there than other places, but that is some scary shit. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Looks like the lazy-assed cops in VT, CT, RI, NJ, D.C., and MD need to step it up.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 In Kansas, we had a 43 percent increase in meth labs between 2010-2011 -- but apparently it's not much to worry about: http://cjonline.com/...t-bad-it-sounds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The High Heat Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/BREAKING__26_Pounds_Of_Meth_Seized_In_Pitt_Lenoir_Counties_150956185.html Big meth bust in my county this week. Mind you I live halfway between Raleigh and the Atlantic, and most of these people are coming all the way from Mexico and Arizona to distribute these drugs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lamradio Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 They had a big bust at a hotel that I pass every day to work a few weeks ago. A few guys were running a pretty intense lab in one of the rooms. They had to have been paying off the owner. You can only leave the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door for so long... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ih8music Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 The meth epidemic sucks, but it gave us the brilliance of Breaking Bad... so I guess it's all good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.