Is Meth the New Crack?

Oct. XX, 2005 — -- The Aug. 8 edition of Newsweek sent up alarms with its cover story, "The Meth Epidemic: Inside America's New Drug Crisis," complete with gruesome photos of addicts and meth "cooks" burned in home laboratory explosions.

Steve Suo, a reporter at The Oregonian newspaper who has been covering methamphetamine since 2002, says that story was viewed with some frustration by local law enforcement, media and treatment professionals.

Meth has been prevalent in Oregon for years -- the state treats more meth abusers per capita than any other. "People are saying, 'We've been talking about this for 15 years,'" says Suo.

But since the media has christened meth the latest "most dangerous drug in America," the government has declared war on the powerful stimulant. There are two separate bills in Congress now aimed at dealing with the drug, and in mid-August, Bush administration officials announced a new plan to combat meth abuse.

There's little debate whether meth can be a dangerous, addictive drug, but several policy experts warn against sensationalizing another drug "epidemic," like crack cocaine in the 1980s, heroin before that, and marijuana even earlier. And those on the frontlines hope that legislators will avoid the same mistakes of earlier drug wars.

Speed is nothing new in America. Amphetamines were sold over the counter until the 1950s, and after that, doctors routinely prescribed "mother's little helpers" to increase stamina and even help dieters. After the government cracked down on amphetamines in the '70s, West Coast biker gangs began manufacturing them.

And today, legal amphetamines are prescribed to millions -- including children -- in the form of Ritalin, Adderall and other drugs.

But the use of methamphetamine -- which can be made from common household chemicals and the psuedoephedrine found in over-the-counter cold medicines -- has grown, and the drug has taken on a sinister role in the public's mind.

Ethan Nadelmann, the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a non-profit group calling for drug policy reform, says that sensational stories about "meth babies," "meth mouth" and the wildly addictive properties of the drug are blatant propaganda and fear-mongering.

"The media loves new drug scares," says Nadelmann.