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4/27/11

Know Your Neighbor: The Meth Head

 
Way back in January, I made a post about Meth in Idaho.  It was meant to be more humorous than anything, but it still had some staggering facts:

• Idaho spends between $60 to $102 million annually to incarcerate and treat the offender
who admits 'I have a problem with Meth' —this represents between 32% - 55% of the Idaho
Department of Correction’s total budget
      o 52% of Idaho inmates directly attribute Meth use to their incarceration
      o 89% of female offenders in county jail in Idaho indicate they have a problem with
         Meth—73% of these women indicate that Meth is their drug of choice

• During 2007, more than 70% of Federal drug offenses in Idaho involved
methamphetamine

• Idaho ranks #4 in the country for past year Meth use by 12 – 17 year olds and 18 – 25
year olds

• Idaho ranks #7 for lifetime Meth use by high school students

I don't know about you, but that's some scary stuff.  Meth is BY FAR the drug of choice in Idaho, and it's effects are everywhere.

It's freaky to see these people first-hand.  I work at a non-profit, and one of the things we do is give out food-box vouchers for low income families, to take to the local food bank.  When a tweaker comes in, you can't help but stare at them for a little bit.  The twitching, the itching, the darting eyes, the fragmented sentences, it's amazing.

And all of this, just for a cheap high.

Surfing the net, I found this research picture from a local university.  It speaks for itself.

Meth is a combination of battery acid, paint thinner, camp stove fuel, drain cleaner, cold tablets, brake fuel and a dozen or so other toxic chemicals.  Anything that makes your teeth fall out, makes you want to tear your skin off, or turns you batshit crazy is not a good way to get high.  Whomever thought to combine all this stuff and go "Hey, let's smoke this!" had something wrong in their brain.

I was out last night with my girlfriend and her sister, drinking and socializing and venting.  You know, the usual.  They're like me, they like to people watch from time to time.  It was pretty obvious to us, as they walked in, who the meth-heads in the bar were.  Surprisingly, there were more women than men (at least, what I saw).

The good news is, if you're overweight, I've never seen a fat girl on meth.  They're all skinny.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.  Maybe meth should get a sponsorship from a major weight-loss corporation?

Sorry.  That wasn't funny.  Meth is no laughing matter.  At least, not like some of the other drugs...

Please Share it! :)

34 witty retorts:

Lady Estrogen said...

I heard bulimia is awesome for weight loss too. I'm sure a bulimic meth addict has an ass to die for.

Is that too far?

O well... it's all done with good old judgmental sarcasm. I cannot believe that photo!! We have a commercial on now along those lines of drug transformation, don't know if it's in the States or not. It's a good one - but I'm sure the kids it's geared towards just think it's lame. I probably would have at that age too; can't blame them too harshly. Teenagers are idiots. :)

Heart Centered Psychic said...

Such a sad state of affairs! From everything I've heard meth is horribly addictive and ruins so many lives.

The photo of that young lady saddens me to no end.

Shutterbug said...

I used to work at a homeless shelter... I know firsthand the effects of drug addiction... It's not pretty!

The Angry Lurker said...

That is really depressing, it can only get worse.

Kelly said...

Yeah, you never see a fat person on meth. That's for sure. God, people on meth are freaking sick looking. They look like they're extras in the Walking Dead movies and AMC series. I think you must be brain damaged to begin with, to even try meth. Then, once you try it and are hooked, you're really brain damaged.

I like the owl pic. Funny.

ResCogitans said...

i'd try it once. i've tried most other things at least once. it's just a shame some people have an addictive personality or are using a drug as an escape from their already shit life.

Lhosreiff said...

Might as well put some ammonia and chlorine in there too, as if it isn't toxic enough.

Astronomy Pirate said...

Jeez, sounds like some scary stuff. Meth isn't to big a problem in my area, though I'm sure it exists in the poorer areas around Baltimore. But we have other drugs that screw people up, and it just doesn't seem like a life to live.

RedHeadRob said...

I don't think I've ever met anyone who has done that shit. Even people I know who do hard drugs have only ever used LSD, and they only use that once every few years it seems.

Drugs are all kinda messed up though... Makes ya hope they'll get better.

Random Girl said...

I'm all about creative weight loss but I'm not so much about my teeth falling out. Although being able to stay up for like a week straight might be awesome, I could get so much done. I'm still voting no.

Jay Reid said...

Ok, the owls were hilarious.

G said...

I know it's not really a funny topic - but the owls! lol

If it wasn't Meth I'm sure they'd find something else to ruin their lives with...

Unknown said...

One thing I'd like to point out:

Idaho can be so damn boring at times. Especially during winter. I can see how people get bored enough to say "Hey, let's get high." It makes watching grass growing seem exciting.

Sharon Day said...

That's the scariest shit in the world. I type up mental health rehab cases and all day long I type up meth, meth, and more meth. I know in the rural areas it's a freaking plague. Women say they started doing it to lose weight. Wow, and lose teeth, sense of dignity, attractiveness... It's a hard one to beat too. Most people I type up in rehab have relapsed on meth an average of 6 times.

Heather (aka Sugar Free) said...

I have a very close cousin who is addicted to meth. It is such a horrible thing to witness someone you love do to themself. I can hardly stand to be in the same room with him anymore because it saddems me too much. Stupid fucking drugs.

But the owl pic is pretty awesome...

N4M3L3SS said...

meth is bad, like the last pic
+1 follower

The Awesome Alien said...

meth is some nasty looking shit and meth people look like shit

zepdragon said...

Meth is a hell of a drug. Last picture is hilarious though!

klahanie said...

That whole Meth situation is friggin' scary shit.
When I was in Vancouver in 2008, one of the local papers did an article on the Meth epidemic, happening there. And, incredibly, they listed all the ingredients to make your own.
Take care, friend.

Anonymous said...

The meth maker next door has been caught 3 times:1st-probation,2nd-6 months in county,3rd-1 year county.He's fat when off it, skinny and doesn't sleep for two week stretches when using.

Zombie said...

Holy crap that lady is freaky looking!!

Skimbosh said...

It's okay to joke about it. You aren't rubbing it in anyone's face or anything. Laughter is a way of helping cope with such staggeringly depressing stats.

middle child said...

Meth and Idaho? I never would have put the two together. Shows you what little I know.

kitkat said...

what middle child said.

123 said...

I HAVEN'T FALLEN ASLEEP IN 3 MONTHS THIS STUFF IS GREAT WOW

Alex said...

yep meth is everywhere even here in idaho

XPSMcLaren said...

As a justice major who's seen before and after pics of every drug there is, meth has to be the worst for damage to the body (at least outwardly)

LilPixi said...

SO, so scary!! If I had ever know what I know now about Meth; what it's made of, how it deranges people's faces & all, I never would have experiemented with it even a few times as a teen when I did anything put in front of me. =( =/

Q said...

So, that's what they do in Idaho! Dude, the before / after photo, is that chick a werewolf or something? She looks like Don Imus' mom. So much money goes into the "drug war" yet no progress is made. Tax payers pay for the fight against the drugs as well as the cost of living for people imprisoned for it. It's a shame.

Anonymous said...

Jeff Greer dows meth

Anonymous said...

...and yet some Moronks want to legalize it.

Alexandra said...

Did you ever EVER Ev-Er see the side by side photos, a series of 3, on a woman whose face melted by a meth explosion, and then 3 months later she's back with mug shot for another meth bust. And then a year later, ANOTHER meth bust.

Her face all melted.

Unbelievable. They just can't stop that stuff.

Me? I"m FAR TOO VAIN to ever mess with something that'll mess with my looks.

Word

Pish Posh said...

This breaks my heart. People fight and fight to quit this, but once you start...

I hate this substance possibly more than anything on earth.

Watching and losing someone to a battle with meth is the worst thing ever.

They try and try and try...

Brandon from lostinidaho.me said...

Good observation, but that quote was more or less from another local article...


I did some research on religion and drug use, and either there is none or it's all covered up. I'm sure you've noticed by now the overwhelming LDS presence in this area, and how they have their hand in everything. If you look around, you will find a lot of sinful Mormons trying to keep things under wraps, and a frenzied church trying to keep their black sheep out of the limelight...

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