Methampethamine is now the drug of choice in rural Minnesota because it’s easy to get and easy to make, reports Minnesota Public Radio. Twenty percent of meth used in the state is made in clandestine meth labs — mostly in rural areas with few people. Eighty percent of the meth in the Twin Cities comes from out of state, smuggled in delivery trucks and hollowed-out car bumpers, usually from Mexico and southwest states. After changing hands in the metro area, much of it leaves the suburbs, Indian reservations, and small towns.
Meth creates unintended victims, in the children of those who use and make it. Children who are exposed to the caustic chemicals can suffer health problems, and their meth-using parents can become so focused on the drug that they neglect the kids. Foster care placement of children who have drug-addicted parents has seen a dramatic increase over the past three years. Some Minnesota high school students say it’s easier to get meth than alcohol. A new study by the Hazelden Foundation found that meth use among teens in the Twin Cities area is rising.
Link: http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/06/14_sommerm_methoverview/