In regards to Russell Barth's "Cracking down on meth won't work" ( KLTW, Aug 23 ).
Russell your philosophy that says, if something is bad just legalize it, is not new. Methamphetamine was my drug of choice for more than three years and I know first hand its destructive nature. I believe it to be the most highly addictive drug on the market today ( prescription or illicit ).
The initial rush you receive when you first experiment with meth brings you back time and time again, trying to recreate that initial feeling, but it never happens.
When using meth, addicts eat very little if at all. I personally experienced a 25-per-cent weight loss. You go without sleep for days and even weeks.
The addict also becomes paranoid about everyone and everything while feeling the need of carrying a knife or gun for protection. Combine no sleep while being in a desperate need for your next fix, paranoid and armed to the teeth.
Golly gee, guess what comes next? One of the Toronto papers carried an article on meth complete with before and after pictures of users. The old adage "a picture can say a thousand words" came ringing back to me. The aging process accelerates and your physical appearance deteriorates because of the highly toxic ingredients that make up this deadly drug.
Babies born to expectant mothers using meth can be born premature or with severe neurological problems. I sure wouldn't want to be the person giving out those drugs to that expectant mother knowing what is taking place within her womb. There are no easy answers. Denial doesn't deal with any problem! Ignoring something will not make it go away!
Russell Barth's opinion is to legalize meth to eliminate the dealers and organized crime, but that's only part of the problem. I do applaud our federal government for changing the status of Crystal Methamphetamine from a Class 3 narcotic to a Class 1 narcotic, putting it in the same category as heroin and cocaine. This came about due to the pressure put upon them by lobbyists from our western provinces, which have been inundated with meth for some time.
My hope and prayer is that our court system will not poo poo the seriousness of meth. The police are willing to lay the charges. It is up to the courts to serve up sentences to the manufacturers and dealers of meth that will send a message to others that the cost of producing and distributing meth is too high and it's time for them to get into another business.
No Russell I cannot agree to giving a drug that has the equivalent ingredients of camp stove fluid, drain cleaner, car starter fluid and battery acid to any human being.
Ken Gorham
