Crystal Meth

Crystal Meth is one of the nations fastest growing drugs of abuse and now more than a million Americans are addicted to the highly debilitating substance. Due to the increased prevalence throughout the U.S., meth use and manufacturing has drawn the attention of state and national legislators.

Oklahoma recently passed a law that requires pseudo ephedrine to be sold behind the counter at pharmacies where each consumer must sign for the sale of medications containing the chemical.

Pseudoephedrine is one of the main ingredients in making Crystal Meth. According to state officials, meth lab busts have been reportedly down by nearly 80% over the last year.

This success in curbing the sale of products containing the ingredient and the reduction in meth labs found has other states seeking similar action. On a national level, there is the introduction of the Combat Meth Act, which has co-sponsors from Senators and Representatives from around the country.

According to the Mothers Against Meth website Retailers and drug companies oppose this measure and are lobbying against it. They claim that the costs associated with restricting the availability of the vast numbers of products containing [pseudoephedrine is excessive and constitutes a burden on their industry.” However, with the federal grants more money can be saved by preventing the production and use of Crystal Meth and its associated costs to society.  Meth addiction treatment can be very costly, running into hundreds of pounds a day in fees.

An alarming number of the individuals that have been arrested and convicted for meth manufacturing and distribution are repeat offenders. Equally disturbing is the high recidivism rate of meth addicts seeking recovery.

Drug rehabilitation programs in general are having a difficult time in effectively dealing with Crystal Meth addiction. An HBO documentary a couple years ago reported that only 3% of meth addicts regain control of their lives again through traditional treatment practices.

There are alternative solutions available though, such as an organization called Narconon Arrowhead, which is one if the nations largest and most successful drug rehabilitation and education programs and is continually gaining more attention and support for its effectiveness in helping individuals addicted to Crystal Meth and other substances. Narconon attributes its success to the organizations use of the drug-free rehabilitation technology researched and developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.