Fatalities linked to meth use reported

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Fatalities linked to meth use reported

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Several recent methamphetamine-related fatalities highlight the continuing dangers posed by the drug despite law enforcement efforts to crack down on dealers and users. "Methamphetamine, which is produced in Mexico and the southwest United States and locally produced, remains the principal drug of concern in the state of Oklahoma," according to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency report obtained by the Tulsa World. Recent incidents that underscore the state's meth problems include: -- A car crash in Sapulpa involving a pregnant woman believed to be under the influence of methamphetamine. After the crash, the child she was carrying was delivered by Caesarean section at 28 weeks' gestation and died. -- A 3-year-old Tulsa County boy was found wandering miles away from his meth-lab home. -- A six-fatality accident led police to a stash of meth in the vehicle of the man blamed for the crash. The state Medical Examiner's Office reported earlier this month that the man had an extremely large amount of methamphetamine in his body at the time of the accident. The meth problem is not just confined to users and their families. "The overall health costs can be astronomical," said Glover, director of substance abuse services for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The economic impact of overall substance abuse in Oklahoma is estimated at between $3.21 billion and $4.38 billion per year, according to a recent Oklahoma Governor's and Attorney General's Blue Ribbon Task Force report. The task force based its estimates on 2003 figures. Methamphetamines are manufactured in clandestine labs using highly toxic, flammable chemicals. Local meth cooks use a number of toxic chemicals such as drain cleaner, lighter fluid, acetone or fuel to change pseudoephedrine contained in cold pills into methamphetamine. This increases the risk of fire or explosions. And exposure to those chemicals by police, firefighters and emergency personnel has been attributed to widespread medical problems among first-responders. Methamphetamine abuse often leads to increased child abuse or neglect, emergency room visits due to overdose or injury, criminal activity and environmental contamination, officials say. "We know that people who have substance abuse problems make more hospital visits and get referrals to child protective services," Glover said. Over the past year, the state has tracked more cases of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C cases directly related to methamphetamine abuse, she said. "It's not only those who use intravenously, but it happens to noninjecting users because of the risky sexual behaviors associated with meth use," she said. Nearly a third of people receiving substance abuse treatment through the state list methamphetamine among their top three drugs of choice, a 23.6 percent increase from those surveyed in 2000, Glover said. In 2004, Oklahoma led a nationwide movement by enacting a law restricting the sale of over-the-counter cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient in the illicit production of methamphetamines. More than 30 other states have enacted similar laws since then. As a result, meth lab seizures in Oklahoma have fallen dramatically, from 1,193 in 2001 to 274 in 2005. However, narcotics officials say the drug flow from Mexico has increased to supply Oklahoma addicts.

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