A Deadly Mix

Area residents and local officials recently took a frank and sobering look at an epidemic that is sweeping the country, By Joseph Harkins Things were going pretty good, at least that’s what Jack thought. There were no fights with his son when the telephone rang. Brandon was making curfew, going to school, and even passing his courses and urine tests as well. And Jack, he was finally running his house like he thought a father should. Then came the day shortly thereafter, when Jack entered his son’s room, found Brandon dead on the floor, and pulled a needle out of his child’s arm. Jack said he no longer runs his house the way a father should. These days, he said, it’s often too difficult to be a father. It’s sometimes difficult enough to just be Jack. “I wish Brandon was here, but he’s not,” said Jack, last week at Selective Insurance in Branchville during a conference, which brought to light the dangers of methamphetamine drugs. “So, I’m in his place. That’s why I do it. I don’t want other parents to make the same mistakes as I did.” About 100 concerned Sussex County community leaders including emergency first-responders, law enforcement officials, parents, educators, and counselors took part in the day-long public awareness session sponsored by the Coalition for Healthy & Safe Families Methamphetamine Task Force, an initiative of the Center for Prevention and Counseling in Newton. “Unless we get that message out to parents and teachers then (Jack’s) will be repeated over and over again,” said Father Joseph Hennen, vice president and executive director of Day Top, Inc., a drug counseling and rehabilitation center in Mount Olive. “This is the first time we’re treating kids with meth problems. We’re hoping because their usage (history) is not as long, the success rate will be better.” Methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant with longstanding effects capable of keeping an addict awake for days during a binge, was virtually unheard of in the northeast up until three years ago, officials said. Tim Coony, who prosecutes Sussex County narcotics crimes, said the conference was designed to bring people together to determine how serious a methamphetamine problem there is locally. “We’re one of the few areas of the country that doesn’t have a meth problem, “he said. “There are other parts of the country where meth has destroyed entire towns and that’s what we’re trying to avoid.” But the region’s worst fears came through last spring, when police busted up a meth lab operation in a Hardyston apartment complex. Two more arrests followed in the summer, said assistant prosecutor Tom Reed, who directs the Sussex County Narcotics Task Force. Although there have been no more arrests since, law enforcement authorities admit it was just a matter of time before meth showed up in Sussex County. According to statistics from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the nation’s war on the white, bitter-tasting drug began in the West, thrived in the plains of the Midwest and has now migrated to the East Coast. Meth is immune to no one, crossing all socio-economic boundaries. Reed said the ingredients to complete a meth laboratory can cost as little as $70 and fit in a brief case. “Methamphetamine can be easily manufactured in clandestine laboratories using store-bought materials and is the most prevalent synthetic drug manufactured in the United States,” said Becky Carlson, coordinator of the Coalition for Health & Safe Families. “The ease of manufacturing meth and its highly addictive potential has caused use of the drug to increase throughout the nation.” The powder, known as “crystal,” can be processed into a smokeable rock or liquid form and injected. Meth can also be ingested orally, smoked, or snorted. After an initial euphoria or rush, other effects can include increased activity, decreased appetite, and a sense of well-being or agitation that can last from six to 12 hours or sometimes even days. Because tolerance occurs within minutes, chronic users binge on meth, taking increasingly higher and more frequent doses in order to sustain a high. “When was I going to use drugs? That became my whole mindset,” said 19-year-old Zach, a patient at Day Top for the past five months. “It affected my whole life, everything I did.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports 12.3 million Americans have tried meth, nearly one in 25 citizens. Hennen said the waiting for addicts seeking treatment at Day Top is six-months long and growing. “No kids will stay straight by just saying no to drugs,” he said. “They have to say yes to something else inside themselves. For some of them, that might be named God. For others, it won’t.” Brian Jernick, a detective with the Vernon Township Police Department, said that despite the nationwide meth epidemic, heroin remains the biggest threat to the area. “Anything can be found in this area if you have the money to buy it,” said Jernick, who serves as the department’s liaison with the township schools. “I’d like to think I hear of trends, but I haven’t heard much about meth.” Police Chief Ernie Reigstad said the Sparta force has five officers certified as drug recognition experts to determine the “tell-tale signs” of all drug usage including meth. “By far what we’re finding in our patrol jurisdiction is heroin, but that doesn’t mean meth isn’t around,” he said. “We’ve made arrests for it. For the most part, you can run the gamut. You’re going to run across any drug.” Authorities believe it’s hard to get an exact handle on meth use in the county until suspects are apprehended. Byram Township Police Chief Raymond Rafferty said the rural landscape of Sussex County makes it that much more difficult. “We know it’s around, so it’s always something we have to be aware of,” he said. “It’s the odor. If you’re on a city block, people can smell the chemicals, but not in the rural areas.” Pam Melyan-Bratton, an official with the Center for Prevention and Counseling, said the non-profit organization reaches out to schools and counselors about the dangers and warning signs related to meth. “It’s so new, but we’re learning more about meth,” she said. “It’s not just out in Oregon. It’s here. We need to step up so this doesn’t become a huge problem.” Coony said first-responders, building inspectors, and probation officers are also at risk to the dangers of meth because of the toxic chemicals involved in the manufacturing process. “The chances of (meth) blowing up are great,” he said. “Even without the danger of fire, the toxic chemicals in a lab can be deadly. If you suspect it even this much, get out and call the police.” The Office of National Drug Control Policy found that a new generation of so-called “meth cooks” has sent the number of laboratory busts soaring from 912 in 1995 to 14,994 in 2004. Coony said that although 15 Sussex County residents know the “recipe for meth, no more than three probably know how to cook the drug. Principal Richard Lio said drug awareness is addressed and updated each year during health classes at Sparta High School. He said the school policy deals with rehabilitation and counseling and has offered referrals to students in need of treatment. “All teachers are trained in the warning signs and to report behavior to us without making judgments,” he said. “There’s a wide range of things we can do.” Officials at the Coalition for Healthy & Safe Families said some of the early warning signs of methamphetamine use include increased heart rate, high-levels of energy, severe depression, poor hygiene, repetitious behavior such as picking at skin or pulling hair, nervousness, or the inability to sleep. But participants at the conference agreed there is much to be learned about the long-term effects of methamphetamines. Still, they are convinced that general use can result in permanent and severe physical and psychological problems including convulsions, hallucinations and paranoia that can lead to homicidal or suicidal thoughts. Keith, a patient at Day Top who had been in an out of treatment for as long as he could remember, said meth led him to a life of petty theft alone on the streets. He said he would be returning home soon, but nothing would be guaranteed after that day arrives. “Had my parents not intervened, I would have ended up dying,” he said. “I’m still very scared. I just hope this time I’ve got it.”