Based on the latest data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), around 353,000 Americans ages 12 and older are current methamphetamine users (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2010). Although the percent of the general population found to be current meth users is now lower than in previous years (0.1%), SAMHSA has also found U.S. treatment admissions for methamphetamine/amphetamine use has undergone dramatically swings between 1999 and 2005, ascending from 32 to 69 per 100,000 population, and currently standing at 44 per 100,000 population. In addition to the heightened risk for HIV/AIDS infection, the functional and molecular damage caused to the brain by injection meth use often causes severe mood disturbances in users such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, anger and aggression. This latest study, led by Dr. Brandon Marshall of Columbia, has now identified suicidal behavior to be an additional symptom of injection meth use, although the neural pathways that link the two behaviors will require further investigation. For now, Marshall and his team determine that the link may be due to a combination of neurobiological, structural, and social mechanisms in the brain, based on their findings from the study’s population.

In their investigation, Marshall and colleagues recruited injection methamphetamine users from the Vancouver Downtown Eastside where illicit drug use is known to be prevalent and HIV infection is widespread among the small neighborhood population. Through street outreach and interviews, the researchers gathered data on the participants for the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study, a part of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS’ Urban Health Research Initiative, from 2001 to 2008, during which time participants completed semi-annual questionnaires on their drug use behavior, sociodemographics, and mental health including suicidal thoughts and attempts. The researchers used the participants’ self-reported data to determine whether injection methamphetamine use was a viable predictor of subsequent suicide attempt. Of the 1,873 qualified participants, 8% (149 persons, or 2.5 per 100 persons per year) reported having attempted suicide during the study’s time frame. The majority of injection methamphetamine users reporting suicidal behavior tended to be native, young females. In addition, the researchers found infrequent injection methamphetamine use to be a predictor of attempting suicide, while frequent injection methamphetamine use was linked to the highest risk for suicide attempt.

While the increased risk for suicidal behavior among injection meth users must be further investigated, Marshall and his team suggest that, in comparison to other illicit drug users, injection meth users tend to more antisocial, lacking support systems and experiencing significant isolation. Based on their findings, the study’s researchers highly recommend incorporating the monitoring of suicidal behavior into traditional substance abuse treatment methods, especially for this group of high-risk drug users. Whether it is through drug treatment or mental health outreach, the implementation of suicide prevention would benefit injection methamphetamine users and assist in the success of their recovery, according to the researchers.

Injection Methamphetamine Users at Higher Risk for Suicide Attempt is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

This results in needless tragedy. Let’s consider the facts.

According to information from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), more than 38,000 people died of drug-induced causes in 2007, the latest year for which data are available. In 1999, there were 19,128 drug-induced deaths, or 6.8 deaths per 100,000 population. In 2007, it grew to 12.6 per 100,000. This only comprehends deaths due to drugs, such as accidental poisoning or overdoses, and not as result of deaths indirectly caused by drugs, such as homicides, accidents, AIDS or other causes.

In the U.S., there is a drug-induced death every 15 minutes, four per hour, 96 per day, and an average of 2,920 per month. That’s an incredible waste of lives.

As for drugged driving, the statistics are similarly alarming. The ONDCP cites results from a 2009 self-report survey included in the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Survey (NSDUH) findings that approximately 10.5 million Americans reported driving under the influence of an illicit drug during the past year. Also in 2009, stats reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that one in three drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes (who were tested for drugs and the results known) tested positive for at least one medication or illicit drug. One in 10 high school seniors in 2008 reported in the two weeks prior to their interview that they had driven a vehicle after smoking marijuana. That’s from the 2008 Monitoring the Future Study conducted by the University of Michigan.

Where the Drugs Come From

Mexico is the principal transit country for the cocaine entering the United States from South America. It is estimated that 70 percent of the cocaine shipments bound for the U.S. pass through Mexico’s borders. In addition, Mexico is also the leading foreign source of marijuana consumed in this country, and, together with Columbia, is one of the principal heroin sources. Mexico is also a major production and transit point for methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.

Marijuana

Marijuana, also known as pot, is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. There is much debate over the increased levels of marijuana potency in more recent years. Some pro-marijuana advocates state that federal reports of increasing potency are overblown and/or complete fabrications. Due to disparities in additives and source of origin, there is no definitive way to determine potency or concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. Marijuana laced with PCP and other potent chemicals is extremely dangerous.

Over the past few years, synthetic marijuana, also called Spice, Blaze, Red Dawn and K2, has become increasingly popular among teens. It is available over the Internet and is sold in retail shops labeled as incense to mask the true intent. These smokable herbal blends provide a marijuana-like high. They consist of plant material that has been coated with research chemicals that mimic THC.

Late in 2010, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), under its emergency scheduling authority, began the process of classifying the five chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana as controlled substances.

This follows numerous reports since 2009 of serious adverse events and hospitalizations among people using synthetic marijuana. For at least the next year, while the DEA studies and classifies the five chemicals, it is now illegal to possess or sell these chemicals.

Data from the 2009 NSDUH released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) show that there is a sharp increase in marijuana use among teens and they are beginning use at younger ages. There were 2.9 million new past-year users of marijuana in 2009, and their average age of initiation (first-time use of the drug) dropped from 17.8 to 17.0 years (2008 to 2009). There was also a nine percent increase (to 7.3 percent from 6.9 percent) of current marijuana users age 12 t 17 from 2008 to 2009.

Looking at dependence and addiction statistics, marijuana tops the list of illicit drugs with the highest rate of past year dependence in 2009. Of 7.1 million persons aged 12 or older classified with dependence on or abuse of illicit drugs in 2009, 4.3 million were dependent upon or abused marijuana or hashish.

With marijuana use so widespread, the risks of higher potency THC cannot be minimized. Marijuana use is associated with dependence, cognitive impairment, poor motor performance, respiratory and mental illness, among other potentially negative effects. Although chronic use of drugs can lead to addiction at any age, research shows that the earlier a person begins drug use, the more likely they are to move on to more serious abuse and addiction. This can happen even later in life, long after drug use has been discontinued, and reflects the long-lasting harmful effects of early initiation of drug use. Teen use of drugs, such as potent marijuana, is particularly dangerous because research shows teen brains are still maturing into their 20s.

Heroin

Heroin is a highly addictive drug and is the most widely used and rapidly acting of the opiates (painkillers). Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance that is extracted from the seed pod of certain types of poppy plants.

Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste and is rarely sold on the streets. Most of the heroin sold on the street is a powder ranging in color from white to dark brown. What accounts for the color differences is what’s left behind in the form of impurities or chemical or other additives. There is another form of heroin, “black tar” heroin, which is primarily available in the western and southwest parts of the U.S. Black tar heroin comes from Mexico. The reason it is called black tar is that its consistency may be like that of black tar, sticky like roofing tar and hard like coal. Black tar heroin, widely available, is much higher in potency and concentration, and that, coupled with the fact that it is less expensive than illegally-obtained prescription opiates and therefore more attractive to buy, makes it much more dangerous for users due to the potential for overdose.

Heroin may be injected, smoked, or snorted. Injection is the most efficient way to administer low-purity heroin. What’s happened recently, however, is that the availability of high-purity heroin – and the fear of HIV/AIDS infection due to needle sharing – has made smoking and snorting the drug more common. No matter which route of administering heroin is used, however, the fact remains that all forms are highly addictive.

The 2009 NSDUH data shows an increase in the number of heroin initiates, with 180,000 persons age 12 or older who had used heroin for the first time within the past 12 months, compared with the average annual number of 100,000 first-time heroin initiates in the 2002 to 2008 period. Of the 7.1 million persons aged 12 or older classified with dependence on or abuse of illicit drugs in 2009, 399,000 were dependent on or abused heroin (up from 213,000 in 2007).

Cocaine and Crack Cocaine

Cocaine is the most potent stimulant of natural origin. It can be snorted, smoked, or injected. When it is snorted, it is inhaled through the nose where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal passages. Injection delivers the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling the smoke or cocaine vapor directly into the lungs, with the effect of getting into the bloodstream as rapidly as by injection.

Crack cocaine is cocaine base that has not been acid neutralized to make hydrochloride salt. Crack cocaine comes in a rock crystal that is heated to produce vapors which are then smoked.

Price and purity studies have shown that as prices of cocaine decline, purity levels increase. In 2001, the purity of powder cocaine ranged from 55 to 65 percent pure. In 2009, it ranged from a low of 55 percent to a high of 75 percent. The price in 2007 was down to $125 per gram from $145 in 2001.

With crack cocaine, the purity level was highest with lowest quantities (below 1 gram) and lowest with the highest quantities (above 15 grams). In the past five years, adjusted prices for crack cocaine shifted downward from about $180 to $170 per gram, while retail purity remained approximately constant in the 75 to 80 percent pure range.

In 2009, according to data from the 2009 NSDUH, there were 617,000 persons age 12 or older who had used cocaine for the first time within the past 12 months. This averages approximately 1,700 initiates per day. The number of cocaine initiates is a decline from the 1.0 million in 2002. Crack cocaine initiates saw a similar decline in the 2002 to 2009 period, from 337,000 to 94,000.

Of the 7.1 million persons aged 12 or older classified with dependence on or abuse of illicit drugs in 2009, 1.1 million were classified with dependence on or abuse of cocaine.

Prevention Efforts on the Southwest Border

The Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) is one of the most diverse of the HIDTA areas that is overseen by the ONDCP. The vast area covers about 2,000 miles of international border between Mexico and the United States, and stretches from San Diego, California to Brownsville, Texas. This area is critical to combating the drug threats arriving in the U.S. including Mexican-produced methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin produced in South America, as well as other dangerous drugs such as marijuana and precursor chemicals used to produce meth.

There are five regions in the Southwest Border HIDTA: Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas and South Texas. There are 45 counties, five federal judicial districts, and includes representatives from 115 federal, state and local agencies.

While each region faces unique challenges, they have adapted to meet changing needs. In Southern California, the California Border Alliance Group (CBAG), one of four California HIDTAs, supports drug intelligence, investigative and interdiction operations, and coordinates efforts to stop drug use before it starts. Through its community-based Demand Reduction program, CBAG brings together community institutions to prevent drug use. One of their projects, “Forces United,” brought together all four California HIDTA regions in 2010 and played a key role in educating the public on the dangers of methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription drugs in local communities.

The Arizona HIDTA recognizes that law enforcement alone isn’t enough to combat the proliferation and potency of street drugs. They have also developed demand reduction programs to educate the citizenry about the dangers of drug use and abuse. Their goals include reducing pharmaceutical substance abuse and related crimes, raising awareness of the prescription drug problem in the state, and partnering with DrugFreeAZ to develop an effective demand reduction program to educate parents and children about drug abuse dangers.

In New Mexico, the Investigative Support Center (ISC) is the go-to organization that works to help get things done for the state’s drug task forces and supports all New Mexico’s law enforcement agencies.

In West Texas, the drug trafficking in the region and the escalating drug and gang violence from Juarez, Mexico spilling over into El Paso, Texas has resulted in law enforcement agencies being on high alert for the past several years. Similarly, in South Texas, despite low population density in some areas, drug trafficking and related crime in the area impacts the U.S. nationally. The South Texas HIDTA utilizes a balanced counter-drug strategy that includes law enforcement action and drug education and prevention efforts.

New England HIDTA

The major threat to the six-state (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire) New England HIDTA is heroin, followed by cocaine and crack cocaine. In recent years, however, drug trends have centered on the increasing use of opioids, including diversion of prescription pharmaceuticals.

In 2009, the largest cocaine seizure in the history of New Hampshire was conducted by the North Shore HIDTA. In the operation, a multi-million dollar international drug trafficking organization (DTO) was identified and dismantled and 45 kilos of cocaine worth an estimated $4 million on the street was seized. The New England HIDTA also focuses on prevention efforts. One of the newest prevention initiatives involves working with the Essex County Massachusetts Sheriff’s Office (ESCO) in its Youth Leadership Academy. This is a program designed to involve at-risk children, aged 12 to 15, in challenging, fun, and safe activities in a drug-, tobacco-, alcohol- and gang-free environment. It also provides instruction in anger management, peer counseling, teamwork, ethics, and cooperation.

Street Drugs are No Picnic

Any involvement with illicit street drugs is a very risky endeavor. In addition to being against the law to buy, sell, use or transport them, their potency is always unreliable and could be life-threatening to certain individuals in certain circumstances. Thus, getting involved in street drug use is a zero-sum game. There’s just no point in putting yourself in such harm’s way.

The illicit drugs available on the street today could come from Mexico (very likely), South America (also a high probability), or some poppy fields in Afghanistan. But they are all potentially deadly and, if nothing else, could lead to a life-long addiction.

The Pure and Deadly: Concentrations Higher in Today’s Street Drugs is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Methamphetamine is a potent and highly addictive substance, and use of the drug can lead to severe health problems, mental health issues, and social problems. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 10 million people in the United States have used methamphetamine at least once.

Kim Janda and colleagues note in the report that methamphetamine addiction costs the United States more then $23 billion per year in medical and law enforcement expenses, as well as lost productivity.

The researchers developed and tested new vaccine formulations that could be effective for long periods of time, which would help prevent relapse and reduce costs. They found that three of the formulations were particularly promising, and produced a good immune response in mice.

Methamphetamine can be very difficult to quit, and many people trying to quit often relapse. The development of an effective vaccine would be a very important discovery for scientists, health care providers, and treatment centers alike. Previous vaccines that have been tested were either ineffective or too expensive.

Source: Science Daily, Toward a Vaccine for Methamphetamine Abuse, May 11, 2011

Scientists Developing Potential Methamphetamine Vaccine is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The research team from the University of Illinois said that the structures and pathways through which chemical reactions happen in fruit flies are close to those of many living things, including people. The systemic impact of methamphetamine can be studied because the fruit flies systems are so compact, according to a Medical News Today report.

The impac of meth on the fruit flies’ systems have proven to be vast and surprising. The way the flies generate energy, process sugar, form reproductive cells, and the way their muscles relate to skeleton and respiration are all affected by meth. In addition, unexpected breaks and interruptions in processes at the cell levels were noted, as well as unanticipated impacts on molecular structures.

One of the most impactful findings include researchers’ observations that meth impacts the energy metabolism function in cells in a similar way as cancer modifies cells as it grows. They hope that by learning more about this process, they can learn more about how cancer attacks and damages cells.

Sugar is also a key element of the research. Meth addicts often crave sugar when they are "high," and researchers discovered that the fruit flies who were exposed to meth extended their lives when they were given trehalose, an insect type of blood sugar.

As the work continues, the team believes fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) offer tremendous potential to understand how meth affects the body, as well as to open doors to other types of human health research.

Fruit Flies Reveal Surprising Findings About Impact of Meth on Human Body is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the increase in drug use was disappointing but not surprising, considering the number of states approving medicinal use of marijuana and the change in attitude about the danger of illegal drugs. He added that he believes the growing focus on medical marijuana is sending the wrong message to young people.

The report found an eight percent increase in marijuana use, remaining the most commonly used illicit drug. Cocaine abuse continued to decline, down 32 percent from its highest point in 2006.

The survey found that 21.8 million Americans over age 12 reported using illegal drugs in 2009, which is the highest level since the survey was first performed in 2002. In 2006, the high was a little over 20 million. The survey is based on interviews with about 67,500 people, and is considered the most comprehensive sample of American drug use.

There was a 37 percent increase in ecstasy use and a 60 percent increase in methamphetamine use. Kerlikowske said more focus should be returned to ecstasy, as anti-ecstasy campaigns started dwindling as use of the drug began to decline after its peak in the early 2000s.

After a law was passed in 2006 that forced pharmacies and convenience stores to put cold medication containing pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient used in making methamphetamine, meth use saw a decline. However, there has been an increase in “smurfing,” or purchasing these pills from different stores in an effort to stockpile pseudoephedrine-containing medication. Kerlikowske said the increase in meth use could be due to people getting around the law and an increase in meth coming from Mexico.

The SAMHSA survey also found that in 2007, 49.3 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 perceived a risk of harm from smoking marijuana once or twice a week, which was down from 54.7 percent in 2007. This suggests that there has been a shift in attitude toward the harmful effects of smoking marijuana, especially among adolescents.

In California, voters will be able to decide whether marijuana should be legalized for medical use. An Associated Press-CNBC poll showed that most Americans oppose legalizing marijuana, but more people believe the drug has medical benefits and should be taxed like alcohol and tobacco.

Source: Associated Press, Sam Hananel, Report: Illegal drug use up sharply last year, September 15, 2010

Illegal Drug Use Hits Highest Level in Ten Years is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Oklahoma law enforcement is cracking down on the growth in meth labs, seizing nearly 300 by the end of May. To date, the state is on track to surpass the 743 labs indentified and dismantled in 2009.

Darrell Weaver, executive director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, noted that the majority of the labs being seized by law enforcement are one-pot labs. This process is not meant to support a major drug operation, but instead to feed an addiction.

The growth in one-pot labs is due in large part to the ease in which a lab is created. Common materials are used to create the drug and recipes are easily found online, along with step-by-step instructions.

In the state so far this year, there have been 26 deaths associated with meth. The causes of these fatalities range anywhere from overdoses to accidents that occurred while cooking the drug. In 2009, 68 deaths were identified.

For the majority of these one-pot shops, money isn’t the intention. A good number of these “cooks” will make arrangements with their clients to trade meth for pseudoephedrine.

It is a circle of addiction that is difficult to stop, especially given the ease in which it starts. The consequence, unfortunately, is that too many “cooks” are dying as a result of their activities – deaths that are completely preventable.
 

One-Pot Meth Labs Increasing in Oklahoma is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Congressman Carnahan says methamphetamine abuse is the root of multiple problems in Missouri’s communities and the U.S. population at large. The bill, called “Universal Access to Methamphetamine Treatment Act,” proposes to improve public safety and reduce crime by making treatment for methamphetamine abuse more available across the country, encourage alternative resolutions to harsh punishments currently in place for nonviolent methamphetamine-related crimes in an effort to keep families in tact, and expand research on methamphetamine addiction, prevention, and treatment.

When introducing the new legislation, the Missouri congressman pointed out that his state was home to the highest crime rates directly related to methamphetamine use in the U.S. today, including discoveries of meth labs and meth production. Carnahan also referred to the surge of criminal activity in the greater St. Louis area that has indirectly been caused by methamphetamine, including auto theft, identity theft, domestic violence, and child abuse and neglect. Methamphetamine abuse and distribution is significantly different from other street drugs in that the substance’s ingredients can easily be obtained from over-the-counter medications and can be homemade in clandestine laboratories. Secondly, because methamphetamine is a highly potent psychostimulant, it also has a great potential for addiction and widespread use. Without enough prevention, intervention, and treatment resources currently in place, methamphetamine abuse has negatively impacted millions of families, job productivity, the economy, and has flooded the country’s state and federal prison systems.

If passed, the Universal Access to Methamphetamine Treatment Act could radically increase the proportion of treatment centers to those who need it most–including underserved populations like minorities, the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community, and Native American tribes–expand funding for methamphetamine research on treatment and prevention strategies, and employ more treatment professionals and counselors. In order to secure more structured supervision of court-ordered substance abuse counseling, the proposed treatment programs would also encompass medical, dental, and mental health services as well as child care, parenting classes, and job training. Perhaps most significantly, the bill would also fund research on possible pharmaceutical drug replacement therapies, much like those already in existence for nicotine and heroin addiction. If the bill does see passage, the U.S. will experience a dramatic change in criminal reformation and mental health care.

The ultimate goal is to sever the problem at the source: the demand for methamphetamine. The legislation hopes to prevent crime and threats to public safety by reaching those using methamphetamine before it’s too late. Multiple studies have shown that recovery and aftercare are much more affordable and beneficial to society than increasing law enforcement and crowding the justice system. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), over 10 million Americans have tried methamphetamine during their lifetime, and 1.3 million have used the substance in the past year.

After Congressman Carnahan introduced the proposed bill before his district’s community, the St. Louis Police Department made a statement to the media agreeing with Carnahan’s proposal, believing that more legislation on methamphetamine treatment would help protect families by aiding those with methamphetamine addictions.

The Democratic congressman collaborated with Republican Congressman George Radanovich of California to create this  bipartisan legislation that is geared toward reaching those most affected by methamphetamine use and related crimes.

Congressman Introduces Legislation to Treat Methamphetamine Abuse is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

One initiative, however, seems like it may be working. According to a recent Science Daily release, a new law in Oregon is reducing the number of methamphetamine-related emergency room visits.

The state passed a law that prohibited the sale of over-the-counter decongestants with pseudoephedrine as an ingredient. In the first year of this legislation, emergency room visits decreased significantly.

Rob Hendrickson, M.D., the principal investigator in a study conducted by Oregon Health & Science Emergency Department physician-researchers noted that this was one of the first studies conducted that suggests that the limitation of supply of an illicit substance could be effective at decreasing its use and the resulting medical problems.

Research conducted suggests that the legislation put in place by the state that limits the supply of methamphetamine easily correlates with the decrease in methamphetamine use. In particular, the effect has been a decrease in the medical problems associated with the drug.

Oregon became the first state in July 2006 to determine specific over-the-counter medications should be available be prescription only. These drugs included medicines that contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine, each of which is a key ingredient in methamphetamine.

After this legislation was passed, Hendrickson’s team evaluated emergency room visit data and found there was a 35 percent decrease in visits related to meth and a 29 percent decrease in patients admitted as a result of meth use.
 

Study Shows Legislation Effective in Reducing Meth-Related ER Visits is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

While the numbers of men and women who use meth are similar, there are significant differences between men and women who use methamphetamine, however. Women who use methamphetamine are more likely to have certain characteristics and life circumstances that male users of meth do not. Some of these issues that women who use methamphetamine typically have are:

• unemployment
• a live-in partner who abuses substances
• a history of physical and sexual abuse
• a history of multiple suicide attempts
• introduction to methamphetamine by an intimate partner
• motivation to use methamphetamine by the desire for weight control
• more negative medical and role functioning consequences of use than men
• more frequent use
• habitual smoking of methamphetamine rather than use by inhalation or injection
• psychiatric methamphetamine-related symptoms, issues and conditions

For women, methamphetamine use and recovery seem intricately tied to relationship issues. It is typical that a woman addicted to meth will also have a partner who is similarly addicted. This social dynamic significantly complicates recovery efforts for women. For example, women who complete treatment for methamphetamine use, and return to partners who continue to use meth, are more likely to relapse than women who do not return to such relationships after treatment. On the other hand, women who successfully complete treatment and return to partners who are also in early recovery from methamphetamine use have fewer incidents of relapse.

Further gender differences in the world of methamphetamine addiction are that women who seek treatment for meth use are more likely to remain in treatment longer and to have longer periods of abstinence after treatment than men. Women addicted to methamphetamine, however, have many psychosocial stressors that complicate treatment and recovery that men do not. Some of these include pregnancy and the risks to unborn children; children and issues of non-protection; domestic violence and financial dependency upon others, particularly their partners who are apt to also be methamphetamine users and/or involved in criminal lifestyles.

Meth and Pregnancy

There are many severe consequences for the babies of women who use meth during pregnancy. Methamphetamine use during pregnancy has been shown to result in pre-mature delivery as well as birth defects. Meth use can affect development of vital organs of the fetus such as the brain, heart, stomach and kidneys. It can also cause skeletal abnormalities. Additionally, there have been cases of babies in utero experiencing strokes and brain hemorrhages due to the mother’s methamphetamine use.

Babies who were delivered at full-term but exposed to methamphetamine may have problems similar to premature babies such as, for example, low birth weight and difficulty sucking and swallowing. Also, meth-exposed babies may have difficulty tolerating light and touch and become unusually irritable, restless and inconsolable. As children, these babies tend to have learning disabilities, problems of inattention and hyperactivity as well as behavior problems related to anger and impulsivity.

Children and Non-protective Parenting

Children of addicted parents are vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse, malnutrition, truancy and medical neglect. Some children are chronically exposed to toxic chemicals in their homes if parents make meth. Therefore, many women with methamphetamine addiction are involved with child welfare agencies due to abuse and neglect of their children. Children living in such conditions are removed from their parents’ care and typically return (if at all) only after a significant period of recovery has been achieved.

Domestic Violence And Meth

Methamphetamine and other stimulants of abuse and addiction are known to cause increased levels of agitation, paranoia, and aggression. Incidents of violence increase significantly with meth use. Meth-related violence in domestic settings generally involves situations in which women are victimized by their partners.

Treatment

Successful treatment of women for methamphetamine use may require helping them to extricate themselves from relationships with partners who continue to use meth, are involved in criminal lifestyles, batter their partners and have financial control over their partners. Consequently, many women will require assistance in securing shelter and financial independence if recovery is to be sustained. Additionally, women in treatment for methamphetamine use may also need support and guidance in negotiating the requirements of child protection agencies in order to plan for successful reunification with their children or to prevent further disruption of their families.

Women and Methamphetamine Use is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The Dallas News reported that 40-year-old Seeley was sentenced by State District Judge Mike Snipes to 34 years in prison for stealing the identities of literally thousands of current and former Irving school district teachers and other employees.

Working with others, Steely obtained names, Social Security numbers and other personal details of 3,200 teachers and other employees from a binder that was thrown in a school district trash bin. This information was then used to obtain credit cards, write fake checks and create fake IDs used to make thousands of dollars in purchases.

One teacher formerly with the school district stated that more than $25,000 in credit card charges were made in her name. Another teacher, Dawn Bizzell, told the court, “It’s affected my health, my family time, my energy and my trust of strangers. Those of us who are victims have been given a life sentence. We’re going to have to pay the price forever.”

The school district is now in the process of compensating the victims for their damages and is evaluating 103 cases in which people are asking for financial reimbursement. Claims include time spent repairing credit reports and stress-related health conditions.

The shopping spree was halted when Seeley was arrested at Irving Mall for attempting to make purchases at Sears with an ID bearing the name of elementary schoolteacher Shellie Pearce. When caught, she was found with information from 12 victims tied to the district.

After sentencing, Steeley apologized to the teachers and blamed her addiction to methamphetamines for her life of crime. She also made a point to mention that she did not work alone, but with a group.

Meth Addiction Prompts Identity Theft is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment