Albuquerque Journal

Meth a problem that just keeps on giving

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AS MOST already know, the opiate epidemic has been worsening, each year claiming more lives than the last. What is less known by the general public is the problem with methamphet­amines has been growing over the past several years as well.

In the most recent data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, it was found an estimated 964,000 people age 12 or older had a methamphet­amine use disorder. This large number can lead to some very serious problems in communitie­s: higher crime rates, destroyed families and the many risks to public health.

Methamphet­amines are made by combining chemicals that can be explosive in bad cases as well as causing long-term property damage from toxic chemicals.

Houses where a meth lab was in operation can retain chemicals hazardous to those who live in the house afterward. In fact, even use of the drug within an apartment, home or trailer can cause negative health effects long after the user or producer has moved on.

More and more communitie­s each year deal with this problem, and it is an expensive thing to repair, with decontamin­ation costing thousands of dollars to inhabitant­s and landlords both. These problems are far from victimless, with acute health effects that include lack of coordinati­on, chest pains and burns to skin, eyes, nose and mouth. Possible chronic long-lasting problems may include respirator­y irritabili­ty and neurologic­al, liver and kidney damage.

In these times it is important that families are aware of both the signs of methamphet­amine use and abuse. In addition, community members need to be on the lookout for signs their house was used prior for methamphet­amine production or use. To learn more about methamphet­amine-effected houses visit https://www.safewise.com/blog/tell-buying-meth-house/.

For more informatio­n on signs of methamphet­amine abuse, visit our website https://www. narcononne­wliferetre­at.org/ drug-abuse-informatio­n/signs-ofmethamph­etamine-abuse.html. LUKE NICHOLS Narconon Denham Springs, Louisiana

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