There is a problem in our society that is overwhelming, devastating and heartbreaking to say the least. It is so easy to turn our heads and pretend it isn’t happening. However, most everyone has seen the devastating effects that drug use has had on not only the user but their friends and families. I have witnessed too many times the struggles that families face trying to get their loved ones some help. Often the user will do whatever it takes to get the fix they need and refuses to be rehabilitated.

Addictions come in many forms whether it’s gambling, tobacco, sex, drugs, as well as food. However, I would like to focus on crystal meth and meth labs used to make it.

I saw in the Newsleader last week that there were four different arrests for drugs and that every one of them involved a “white powdery substance” referred to as “meth”. Normally, I would quickly turn my sights to another article where someone received an award or maybe a donation was made to a charity. It’s so easy to look the other way. But, there’s a little girl I know that I can’t seem to get out of my mind who has been deeply effected by drugs and I’m doing this article for her and the many other people’s lives who have been effected.

The first step in conquering a problem is getting educated. I didn’t know a lot about crystal meth or meth labs except what people told me over the years so I did a little research.

A meth lab is a clandestine drug lab that is a collection of materials and ingredients used to make crystal meth and is made mostly from common household ingredients. These ingredients are mixed and cooked together to make meth and the harmful chemical mixtures can remain on household surfaces for months or years later. There may be health effects in people exposed to chemicals to make meth before, during and after the process. Therefore, each lab is a potential hazardous waste site, requiring evaluation, and possibly cleanup, by hazardous waste professionals.

Meth labs have been discovered in hotel and motel rooms, restaurants, barns, private homes and apartments, storage facilities, fields, vacant buildings and (moving or stationary) vehicles. A minimum of 5 to 7 pounds of chemical waste are produced for each pound manufactured.

Health effects caused by exposure to meth lab chemicals depend on the lab process and chemicals used, the amount of chemical and length of exposure and the age and health of the person exposed. Chemicals may enter the body by being breathed, eaten, or absorbed through the skin. An acute exposure is one that occurs over a relatively short period of time.
Acute exposure to meth lab chemicals can cause shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, dizziness, lack of coordination, chemical irritation, burns to skin, eyes, nose and mouth. Death could result when exposure is to a particularly toxic chemical or the person exposed is particularly vulnerable. Acute exposures can occur in non-drug users during or immediately after making meth.

The warning signs of a meth lab are: strong odor of solvents, residences with windows blacked out, iodine or chemically stained bathroom or kitchen fixtures, travel trailer or RV parked on the property, increased activity, especially at night, excessive trash.

We all wish the problem would go away but there are actually some pro-activists who are working hard at making a difference.

I attended a weekly meeting of “Narcotics Anonymous” at the First United Methodist Church in my home town, which is a twelve step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous describing itself as a "fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. Membership in Narcotics Anonymous is voluntary; no attendance records are kept”.

I stayed a bit after the meeting was over and talked to two of the men whom I will call “Bill” and “Joe”. “Joe” drives all the way from Memphis, which is an hour and a half away. He said that he was addicted to alcohol more than drugs. He remembers doing crystal meth at the age of 16 but was not addicted to it. When I asked what got him to start drugs at all he said “curiosity and peer pressure”. I asked “Did your mother (father not at home) not know?” Joe replied “I believe she did but turned her head the other way. She was the one that gave me money whenever I needed it.” However he said his real addiction came from alcohol when he joined a fraternity in college and the drinking began.

“Bill” said that he had been addicted to crystal meth and has been clean for more than a year after a relapse. When I asked what made him relapse, he replied “I quit coming to these meetings. You can’t do that. You gotta keep on coming.” I asked them both what was the effect of crystal meth? “Bill” replied that “You have overwhelming confidence”. However, “Joe” said he started hallucinating and thought he was going to die. "You’re high for about a day and half, but it takes three days for your body to shut down. After that all you want to do is sleep.” he said.

I asked what the negative consequences were and “Bill” told me that your body ages 10 times, your teeth fall out, your heart starts to give out as well as the devastating effect it has on your job, family and finances. You are also depressed for about a year because your brain has to learn to reproduce dopamine.

The group also pointed out that all types of people were addicts: rich or poor, homeless to professional. You may know an addict personally and not know it because, “Addicts are great con artists.” They often know how to hide what they are doing.

When asked what was the best way for people to stay clean, they recited several quotes: “Change your people, places, and things”, “Surround yourself with sober people”, “One day at a time.”

They said there is always help if you seek it. There are places all over the world. You just have to want to get help. They both agreed that complete abstinence was the only way to go.

On leaving the meeting, they gave me a sincere hug and I was pleased that I had come. They were very sincere in their desire to help others and hoped that I would get the word out about their meetings so they could in turn help others. As one of them said, “Seeing what others go through helps me to keep the path that I’m on.” They were truly inspirational and I hope that their meetings will inspire others to come and get the help they need.

I was telling my good friend and co-worker Doris Scott about this article I was doing. She mentioned Rev. Julius Hill as someone that I might talk to so I called him up. He was more than happy to come by and talk to me.

One good thing about doing articles is getting to know new people and learning about their lives. I knew I liked Rev. Hill right away. He came with a sincere positive attitude which is something I admire. I asked him to tell me more about himself and what he had done to help with the drug epidemic.

Rev. Hill is a retired 22 year detective from Philadelphia, Penn. His wife is from Osceola, Arkansas, and wanted to come back to Arkansas. He wanted to become a minister. They decided to move to Wynne, Arkansas, when an opening became available at the First Baptist Church.

He told me with a smile what a beautiful town that he had. “The crime is nothing like we had in Pennsylvania or anywhere I’ve lived.” He also became the Wynne Police Chaplain and has a badge for it. Sometimes he talks to inmates when requested and other times he gives counseling to those who come to him. He also helps to coordinate the inmates to work off their fines by doing jobs for the city.

Rev. Hill also helped to jump start the neighborhood watch program. This is a group of people that care about their community and are taking offensive steps to combat crime. It consists of block captains who are strategically placed at bus stops, parks, etc. to ensure the safety of their neighborhood.

I could tell that Rev. Hill was sincere in his efforts and not boastful at all. He said that back in Philadelphia he always tried to rehabilitate those if thought there was hope. When his retired friends found out that he was a minister they weren’t surprised.

However, don’t let the humble exterior fool you. He can get tough when need be. He told me when he got angry enough seeing a group of guys doing their drugs to take the drugs and smash them with his foot on the ground. He immediately let them know that this was not acceptable. Sometimes that’s the only language people understand.

He had nothing but good to say about our local police department. “They are always there at our neighborhood meetings as well as city officials.” He said they have an anonymous crime reporting system where people can report crimes without being worried about retaliation. He said that he wished we could pay our good officers more where they wouldn’t leave.
He said the two worst drugs to worry about were crystal meth and crack cocaine. The pushers are making so much money that it’s become a “way of life”. It is important that we give our kids other things in which to get involved. He had nothing but praise for the Boys and Girls program, saying. “Wynne is a blessed place.”
After these interviews, I felt that I had learned a lot about the drug epidemic in Wynne. However there is still more to learn. I will continue with research with my next story. "Proactive and Making a Difference – Tackling Drug Addiction in Cross County Part 2".