Bill could slow use of methamphetamines

by Marisa Peters
For the Post

While more people are making – and possibly using – a dangerous illegal stimulant, others are trying to find a way to end its production.

According to statistics from the Drug Enforcement Agency (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/meth.htm), the use of methamphetamines has risen dramatically in the United States since 1994.

Methamphetamines are a highly addictive drug that increase energy, heart rate and blood pressure, said Inge Detweiler, a clinician at Health Recovery Services, 100 Hospital Drive.

The DEA seized 2,155 methamphetamine labs in 1999 – more than eight times the number of labs discovered six years ago. More than 8,600 people were arrested on methamphetamine-related charges in 1999, compared to only 1,944 in 1994.

But proposed legislation could slow the use and production of the drug.

Ohio House Bill 7, sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey Manning, R- North Ridgeville, would make it a crime to possess the equipment or chemicals with the intent to make methamphetamines, said Jennifer Detwiler, director of communications at the House of Representatives.

Alcohol, chloroform, lye, battery acid, cold tablets, salt and energy boosters could indicate the intent to make methamphetamines. Equipment could include camp stoves, propane cylinders, wooden matches and hot plates, according to the Vermillion County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department's Web site (www.abcs.com/vcsheriff/meth.htm).

Although use of the drug is rising across the nation, Detweiler said she has not noticed an increased use of methamphetamines in Athens from a treatment perspective.

"That's not to say that the abuse of methamphetamines isn't going on," she said. "It certainly is, but we're not seeing a rise."

People use methamphetamines to increase energy levels and sensitivity, Detweiler said.

"You're hyperactive. Your whole physiology is stimulated, so you feel everything very intensely. You're racing. You're energetic. You're up," she said.

Manning said he is sponsoring the bill because "it's a developing problem. It's spreading across the country."

But because ordinary people can use the equipment and chemicals for making the drug, some drug makers might be escaping the system.

Detwiler said there have been incidents of police finding people with the necessary chemicals and equipment, but not arresting them because no methamphetamines were in the area.

Manning said he wants to close this loophole under the current law and "try to keep this spread out of Ohio. The proposal enhances the penalties if you set up a lab, and you're manufacturing drugs in the vicinity of others."

Manning said 20 percent of labs are discovered because they burst into flames or explode, posing a danger to others.

Stimulants such methamphetamines can be extremely addictive, Detweiler said. They target the pleasure receptors in the brain, and this creates a physiological response.

How fast a person becomes addicted depends on the individual. Side effects can include withdrawal and cravings for the drug, Detweiler said

Health Recovery Services treats people who are trying to recover from an addiction holistically, because addictions affect people emotionally, spiritually, physically and emotionally, Detweiler said. All these aspects must be addressed and dealt with in recovery.

"Recovery really requires a complete lifestyle change," she said.