Caledonia Argus

Meth use, labs a growing concern for Houston County

Posted: 2/3/04

By David Heiller
Argus News Editor

Itís hard to know where to start when talking about the dangers of methamphetamines.

But perhaps the pictures of a California woman tell the story best of all.

Deborah Durkin showed those pictures during a presentation at Caledonia Middle/High School last week.

They showed a woman transformed from a beautiful Miss California to someone who looked like a living skeleton.

Sunken cheeks, no teeth, rotten jaw bones, rash. ìAnd probably a dramatically altered mind and body in other ways,î Durkin said.

She went through a long list of concerns about methamphetamines in her two-hour discussion in the school auditorium.

The photos, reprinted above, show them even better. Durkin is program director for the Minnesota Department of Health, specializing in meth lab education. She told the 20 people in attendance many frightening things about the drug, which she said could become more widespread in Houston County.

ìThereís one -- there will be more,î she said, referring to the meth lab that was discovered last September near Eitzen.

Durkin said Caledonia could follow in the footsteps of Worthington. ìThere isnít a kid in the junior high that canít get their hands on this stuff,î a Worthington police officer had told her.

Places like Pine County in East Central Minnesota have their court system tied up for two years just with meth cases.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that causes liver and kidney damage. It is smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected. Users experience a ìhighî of euphoric feelings, increased wakefulness, and decreased appetite.

The drug, which is sometimes known as ice, glass, speed, zip, quartz, crank, go, and crystal-meth is easy to make. The ingredients, a third of which are highly toxic, can be bought or stolen fairly easily.

Meth labs fit into rural areas, Durkin said, where itís easier to hide the labs and the awful smells that accompany them. Meth labs even fit into the trunk of a car

People get into methamphetamine use for different reasons, Durkin said. They think it will help them lose weight, or enhance their sex life, or make them more interesting.

ìItís a group-of-friends drug,î she said.

But along with the awful physical toll it takes, it leads to aggression, violence, and paranoia. The brain of a methamphetamine user resembles the brain of a person with Parkinsonís Disease, Alzheimers, or of someone who has suffered a stroke.

Another big problem with meth labs is the clean up. That was one reason why Houston County Public Health Director Linda Grupa helped bring in Durkin. Grupa said before the meeting that professionals like firefighters, EMS workers, and policemen are encountering meth labs. The labs are a fire and explosion hazard, and contain dangerous raw ingredients like hydrochloric acid and anhydrous ammonia.

ìI think more community awareness will protect our frontline

people more,î she said.

Durkin said many professionals have been disabled from working with meth labs.

Children in or near meth labs suffer health problems like rashes and breathing difficulties.

Meth labs also can cause serious environmental problems by polluting groundwater and soil.

Sores on the face or arm are a dead giveaway for methamphetamine use, Durkin said. She can be reached by calling 651-215-0778; e-mail is deborah.durkin@healthstate.mn.us.

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