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 It's insidious. It's in the headlines. But meth is only part of a much larger drug and alcohol abuse problem in Nevada.
By Sherri Cruz
02/12/07
Meth mouth is a ghastly thing.
Surely, you've seen the before and after photos of how the drug meth—short for methamphetamine—rots a user's teeth. Lately, the state has been blanketed with frequent and graphic media coverage of meth's toll.
The drug speeds users to zero in a matter of months. That's because it's easier to get hooked on meth. It messes with dopamine levels in the brain and creates a "seeking behavior." Users often end up chasing the original high, never to be achieved again. Meanwhile, the addiction devastates a user's body, mind and spirit.
Meth mouth screams for attention.
But is it the "colossal struggle of our times" as framed by Gov. Jim Gibbons?
How about problem gambling or prescription drug addiction, both more frequent for Nevadans than meth? What about the ravages of poverty or homelessness, felt by so many Nevadans? Death by alcohol kills more people in Nevada than meth.
Don Richter, at the forefront of the anti-meth campaign, puts it this way: "We think the meth war is going to be long term." Richter, founder of Reno-based Secret Witness, a crime solving organization, said the problem is at the U.S. border – meth is now being made in Mexico.
"They're just coming in with backpacks full of it."
And so, in the past year, meth has moved to the top of the list of things to care about in Nevada. How did that happen? More on that later.
First, let's put the meth problem in perspective. The number of meth users in Nevada is estimated to be about 40,000, according to the federal National Survey on Drug Use and Health (based on annual averages for 2002 through 2004). That number is small compared to the number of people who abuse alcohol and other drugs. Nationally, the estimated number of meth users is 1.3 million and use is declining. That's right, declining.
A new report issued by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says fewer people in the U.S. are using meth, and the drop in the number of people 12-years old and over who have tried meth for the first time is significant: 318,000 in 2004 vs. 192,000 in 2005. Nevada is following that trend. A recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey done by the state reports that meth use among Nevada's teens is declining.
In fact, alcohol is the most popular substance for adults seeking treatment in Nevada, according to the state's most recent biennial report. For teens, it's still the joint.
The number of meth labs in the state has decreased significantly, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. There were 259 "incidents" in 2001, compared to 53 in 2005. That's the trend for the rest of the nation as well. Instead of homemade makeshift labs, meth is being made by Mexican "super labs."
Still, per-capita meth use in Nevada is higher than any other state, and 44% of the 11,354 admissions for treatment in 2006 were meth related. But let's put that in perspective, too. Nevada has always had a high rate of illicit drug and alcohol use, said Denise Everett, director of Quest Counseling and Consulting Inc. in Reno.
Nevada knows social ills. To name a few: teen pregnancy, alcoholism, death by firearms, bankruptcy, violent crimes, suicide, high school dropouts, homelessness, problem gambling, fewer students who go on to college. The state usually does poorly when the welfare of its residents is compared to other states.
There is something about Nevada-- it tends to breed and attract unhealthy behaviors, at least in its most populated regions. There seems to be callousness toward those who are less able to fend for themselves.
People disagree on the reasons why Nevada's ailing on the social front but they often cite: the 24-hour lifestyle, jobs that require little education, too little support from the powerful for social welfare, transience, too much growth too fast, the perception of a no-rules culture, gambling, an economy that thrives on decadence – "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" is more than a tagline.
For sure, the people on the ground – the treatment centers, law enforcement and counselors—are feeling meth.
Of 1,000 calls (calls in which users stated their addiction) the center took last year, 366 were related to meth, said Debbie Gant-Reed, crisis lines coordinator for the Crisis Call Center in Reno.
The drug has skipped into suburbia. Even "soccer moms" have meth mouth (it has a weight-loss effect) and for her kids, meth comes in strawberry flavor. What meth has done is compound an already deeply entrenched substance abuse problem in the state that has been largely ignored for years.
Substance abuse overall is burdening the system, said Quest Counseling's Everett. She's seen kids switching to cocaine because of the scary meth stories. "Most kids these days, if they're going to get high, they're going to try just about anything," she said. "Most of the kids we see in treatment tend to have trauma, abuse or divorce -- major upheavals in their lives," she said. Often one or both parents have an addiction problem, she said.
"Nobody wants to talk about alcohol but alcohol is a drug," Everett said.
What's needed in the state is more money for treatment of all substance abuse. "We don't have as many treatment centers as other states," she said. "The political climate in Nevada hasn't been supportive of folks who are powerless or disenfranchised."
Crisis Call Center's Grant-Reed said the wait to get into a treatment center is about five weeks to two months long. "More treatment needs to be available," she said.
Those dealing with substance abuse are now advocating a three-pronged approach: prevention, enforcement and treatment. "I would like to see the push for all drugs like the anti-meth campaign," said Sarah Pullen, spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Agency. Meth gets more attention because its effects are "very graphic and dramatic," she said.
The meth groundswell began about a year ago when an ad agency helped a coalition of anti-meth groups produce a media blitz.
Secret Witness founder Richter, who has a relative who used to be addicted to meth, doesn't believe in waiting around for government to take care of things. He read a Montana study that surveyed teens on meth use. Teen girls thought meth would help them lose weight and boys thought it would help turn them into super athletes, he said. "I thought: Maybe we should get ahead of that. We ought to spend some money," he said.
Richter communicates often with the governor's wife, Dawn Gibbons, who has made meth awareness a priority. "This is a real passion for her," he said. "She's not just a figurehead. She's very involved," he said. "I think they're just aware that the quality of life has gone to hell in a handbasket."
Richter enlisted Secret Witness board member Mike Reynolds, owner of Reno-based Global Studio, an advertising agency, to help with an ad campaign. At first, the campaign was going to be small-- public service announcements. But the airing of "Crystal Darkness" generated a frenzy of media coverage.
Global Studio produced the 30-minute documentary, which aired simultaneously Jan. 9 on most of Northern Nevada's TV stations. Reynolds didn't think TV station managers would go for it—the airtime was free—but they did.
"I felt in the case of this program, it was worthwhile use of our airtime to expose our viewers," said Matt James, station manager for KOLO-TV in Reno.
James is passionate about the cause. "It's probably one of the most addictive substances on God's earth," he said. "You can't say that about alcohol. You can't say that about gambling," he said. "This is more heinous, more addictive. It physically decimates the human body."
The schools were supportive, too, Reynolds said. Flyers were circulated at the schools, which also made calls to about 30,000 homes to inform students and their families about the show. Crystal Darkness was produced start to finish in three months, he said. "A lot of the legwork was done," he said. The whole campaign cost Secret Witness about $75,000.
Since then, other cities have contacted Global Studio , including Pocatello, Boise, Denver and Sacramento. Global Studio is now working on a Spanish-speaking version and a parent's toolkit. "Really the answer is going to be the parents," he said.
Expect to read and see more about meth mouth. "Our main goal is to get down to Las Vegas," Reynolds said.
Hyping meth has had a positive effect.
The Governor has already eeked out an extra $6 million for the first year of the biennial budget and $9 million for the next for substance abuse treatment, said Maria Canfield, director of the state's Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Agency. Canfield said the agency is appreciative of the funding but it's not likely to eliminate waiting lists.
The agency's biennial report shows that admissions for treatment have actually gone down: In 2004, 11,942 admissions and in 2006, 11,354. But that's not for the lack of trying, according to Canfield. Last year a treatment center closed and the wait is at least three weeks for people seeking treatment, she said.
"Here's my hope," Everett said. "The citizens and the politicians will really begin to focus on drug and alcohol issues that need to be addressed. We need to put our money where our mouth is."
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