By Tony Fuller, KTVZ.COM
The crystal methamphetamine epidemic continues ito be a concern in Central Oregon. The meth that is produced for recreational use is made in illicit labs with fairly inexpensive, and often toxic or flammable ingredients.
You don't have to look too hard to find the problems evident in Tuesday night's documentary "Crystal Darkness" right here on the High Desert.
It's a small emergency room at Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville, but that doesn't mean it's a slow day for Dr. Les Dixon.
"We stay pretty busy, and I usually see at least one patient that is sick either directly or indirectly from meth," he said.
Dixon says he has seen patients of all ages who are affected by crystal meth.
"I have had patients as young as infants who have meth in their system from their mother, or elderly people who use meth. ... It's really a wide range."
Methamphetamine makes people feel alert and energetic, confident and talkative. They feel little need for food or sleep.
"It changes the make up of the chemicals in your body and can totally change the way you act," Dixon said.
That's what happened to Gloria Rockwell when she started using meth in middle school.
"It changed everything about me," she said. "It made me a different person, someone that my friends and family didn't even know."
Studies show most crystal meth addicts become addicted the first time, and they continue to use, trying to experience that same high they felt the first time.
"No matter what treatment program I was being put through, I wanted to use, and that's what I was going to do," Rockwell said.
It's been two years since Rockwell used crystal meth, and in that time she has realized just how fortunate she is.
"It's by the grace of God that I am alive, and I know that," she said. "It's almost impossible to get clean from meth, and thank God I am still here to talk about it."Tolerance to the effects of methamphetamine builds up quickly in regular users, meaning they need more and more of the drug to achieve the desired effect.
An overdose of methamphetamine can result in seizures, high body temperature, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke and even death.
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