It was a lonely gloomy day as we drove away from the cemetery. The silence in the car was painful as it engulfed us. Then the sobbing started. My friend was shattered by the the death of her beautiful son. As I gazed out the car window I recalled the events of the past months.
Ron was a tall good looking young man. He was fresh out of the Marines and glad to be back home. Little did he Know that his life was going to become hell. I don’t know how he started using Methamphetamine but I do know it didn’t take long for this young man to become addicted. He changed from the once loving funny guy who was great to be around into a moody untrustworthy stranger. His behavior was erratic and risky. We wouldn’t see Him for weeks on end and then he show up long enough to eat sleep and borrow money. Then He’d disappear again.
Late one Thursday evening Ron was “cooking” up a batch of Meth in an abandoned house and it blew up. The Burns covered 75% of His body. It was so bad we could barely recognize him as we stood by his bed in the burn intensive care unit. We knew he was going to die.
Because of Meth addiction this 24 year old was dying and there was no way to change it. This young man is just one of many who have been devoured by this horrible addiction. Young women have abandoned their children so they can spend their lives degrading themselves in order to feed their addiction. Men abandon their families and careers to live in an all consuming addiction.
Because of the meth epidemic, more and more grandparents are left to raise their grand children while the parents are missing or in jail or prison and to many times dead. Meth is highly addictive and recovery rates aren’t very encouraging.
Many babies are being born addicted to meth now. we don’t know what the long term effects of this will be. Some studies suggest that these kids will have poor impulse control and will
exhibit learning disabilities. Meth is destroying families and reeking havoc on our communities as the addicts engage in criminal behavior to gain the money to get the drug. Mail theft and financial fraud of different types are on the rise in areas where Meth use and manufacture are prevalent.
The dangers of Meth are not only the obvious health and mortality issues that effect the addict but are also the effects of Children being discarded and abandoned to the care of others so the parents can continue their addictive life style . Also what is going to be the results of having so many children being born addicted to Meth? We just don’t Know at this time. Then we have the added danger to society as our communities are dealing with an increase in criminal activity as the Meth problem spreads. Of course there could be a Meth lab in your neighbors basement without you ever knowing until it blows up and contaminates the entire block you live on.
Meth is not a harmless recreational drug ,it is an extremely dangerous poison that is killing those who use it and putting all of us in jeopardy. More and more families and communities are dealing with the devastation that methamphetamine causes.