National Methamphetamine Awareness Day is Nov. 30
In light of Methamphetamine Awareness Day, efforts to shut down domestic meth labs cause massive surge in International drug trafficking.
Canadian, OK (PRWEB) October 26, 2007 — Efforts at reducing the number of methamphetamine labs in the U.S. have been working, but the steady demand for the drug is being met now by meth manufacturers in foreign countries.
While President Bush was proclaiming November 30, 2006 as National Methamphetamine Awareness Day, criminals in China were disguising and shipping 43,000 pounds of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the manufacture of meth, by cargo ship to Michoacan, Mexico. This ingredient was intended to supply one of several huge meth labs that are now being established in Mexico.
One such lab was raided in January, 2006 by Mexican authorities. This lab in Guadalajara, Mexico, was capable of producing 400 pounds of finished meth per day. By comparison, most domestic labs produce a few ounces to ten pounds of drug in a production cycle lasting about 24 hours. Another huge meth lab was discovered outside Guadalajara on August 1, 2006. Approximately 220 pounds of finished meth was found on this site at the time of the raid.
Government statistics state that 80% of the U.S. supply of methamphetamine is currently coming across the U.S.-Mexico border or it is produced by Mexican drug trafficking organizations in California.
“Eliminating the methamphetamine tragedy in this country will not be accomplished by solely focusing on law enforcement. At the same time we are shutting down labs, we must also concentrate on drug rehabilitation using methods that are proven to work,” said Gary Smith, CEO of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol education programs, located in Oklahoma. “Meth is a highly addictive, deadly drug that has been sampled by twelve million people at least once in their lifetime. What casual users don’t know is that they can quickly turn into addicts.”
“We have had many meth addicts come to us for treatment over the years. A large percentage of these folks have been through traditional rehab programs with no success.
“Treating meth addiction can be tricky. A user commonly displays psychotic behavior due to severe sleep deprivation and poor diet. They will also experience severe cravings for more meth when they are coming down from the drug. At these times users will become very irrational and sometimes violent.
“Too often the symptoms of meth abuse get misdiagnosed as a mental illness or disorder resulting in the administration of psychotropic or anti-psychotic medications. This compounds the problem and creates more mental instability, further complicating the detoxification and rehabilitation process.
“The Narconon program is a drug-free program. We use no substitute medications. We have found that the best treatment program begins with good nutrition, a specific vitamin regime and trained staff working with these individuals in a quiet, comfortable environment. Once through the critical period of withdrawal, the meth user then begins the addiction treatment process. Our in-house outcome studies of program participants, done two years after completion of the entire Narconon residential drug rehabilitation program, have shown that approximately 60% of methamphetamine users remain drug-free.”
The Narconon Program was founded in 1966 by William Benitez in Arizona State Prison, and is based on the research and developments in the drug rehabilitation field by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.
For more information about effective drug education or to find help for a loved one in need, contact Narconon Arrowhead by calling 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com.
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