subject: Methamphetamine Addiction Is Rampant In The Rural Areas [print this page] Methamphetamine addiction is rampant in the rural areas of north central Florida. Dangerous meth labs are plentiful in Putnam, Clay, Columbia and Levy counties. Law enforcement sees firsthand the effects of methamphetamine use. The drug ages its users rapidly and health and appearance decline. Extreme weight loss, rotting teeth and raw, pockmarked skin are the hallmarks of methamphetamine abuse.
They call it the poor mans cocaine. Its cheaper to get than cocaine and it is much more addictive than cocaine. It destroys your life and takes control of you, said Columbia County Sheriffs Sgt. Ed Seifert. The meth consumes them so much they cant work, they dont sleep for days, they cant function as a normal person in society. They cook, they smoke, they cook, they smoke. They dont have jobs, they dont take care of their children, they dont have incomes. Smoking meth is the only thing they do.
At the Metamorphosis drug treatment center in Gainesville, most of the methamphetamine users getting treatment come from rural communities. It is not understood why meth is not a problem in Gainesville.
We know its out there in the outlying areas. The labs have been moving across the Panhandle from the west. But we just dont see it, said Jim Santangelo of Alachua County Court Services. Santangelo runs the drug court program and has yet to see any methamphetamine addicts enrolled in the program.
It just doesnt come up as a topic, Santangelo said. Weve never had a methamphetamine referral. Gainesville, as far as I know, has always danced around the whole meth thing. Were waiting for that shoe to drop.
