Helping each other stay informed
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NEWS from AROUND
THE NATION from JTO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Workplace Study Finds Less
Evidence of Methamphetamine Use

An annual study by the largest drug-
testing company in the U.S. found that 22
percent fewer workers tested positive for
methamphetamine in 2007, leading drug
czar John Walters to declare that cutting
back on the availability of precursor drugs
is cutting meth use rates.

Quest Diagnostics reported that positive
drug-test results for methamphetamine
declined in every region of the U.S. except
for the Northeast last year; separately, the
Drug Enforcement Administration reported
that seizures of illicit meth labs declined
31 percent in 2007.

"When we are able to put strategic
pressure on the supply of these drugs,
what we're seeing is a direct effect for the
better on the number of users that we can
actually measure with drug tests," said
John Walters, director of the White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy.

However, the Quest report found that
positive tests for other types of
amphetamines rose 5 percent, leading to
speculation that some users may be
substituting other kinds of stimulants for
methamphetamine.

Mexican-based "superlabs" have cranked
out greater supplies of methamphetamine
to make up for the drop in supply from U.S.
-based meth labs, which have been
impacted by new laws restricting sales of
prescription medications containing
ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which
can be used to cook meth. The DEA,
however, says that interdiction efforts
have curtailed the supply of meth from
Mexico, as well.

"We for the first time on the meth front
hear the traffickers themselves and
informants report that there's a change,"
said DEA Acting Administrator Michele
Leonhart. "They are having a hard time
getting the product out of Mexico."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

National Drug Control Strategy
2008

This report presents the 2008 National
Drug Control Strategy of the White
House Office of National Drug Control
Policy. The goal of the President’s
Strategy is to reduce drug use in
America through a balanced approach
that focuses on stopping use before it
starts, healing America’s drug users,
and disrupting the market for illegal
drugs.

Available as a PDF (1.14 MB) or order a print
copy online.

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.
gov/publications/policy/ndcs08/index.
html
Publication Year: 2008
Office of National Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP)
Executive Office of the President
750 17th Street, NW
Washington, dc 20500
Phone: 202-395-6732
Website: http://www.
whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
Email: ondcp@ncjrs.org
_______________________

2008 Global Conference on
Methamphetamine

From:
2008 Global Conference on
Methamphetamine
Executive Program Committee
luciano.colonna@globalmeth.com
www.globalmethconference.com

2008 Global Conference on
Methamphetamine: Science, Strategy, and
Response

September 15–16, 2008
Prague, Czech Republic

The 1st global conference on
methamphetamine has been organized in
response to an emerging consensus
among experts that methamphetamine
use is a complex problem that presents a
significant challenge to existing
philosophies and strategies. While local
and national communities are under siege
by a perceived methamphetamine
epidemic rush to pursue solutions, many
facets of the problem remain to be
discovered, examined, debated,
illuminated and verified.

It is in this spirit of discovery, discussion,
and cooperation that this conference is
being convened. As the first event to
gather global experts from varied fields,
with diverse and even sometimes
divergent perspectives, the conference is
assured to be an unparalleled event!

Early registration for the 2008 global
conference on methamphetamine is now
open! Delegates are encouraged to
register before June 1st, 2008 to qualify
for the reduced pre-conference rate!

For more information, including details on
registration, hotel and travel, visit: www.
globalmethconference.com

Major and Concurrent Session Topics will
include:

Regional Updates  / Pharmacology /
Enforcement Programs  / Clandestine
Drug Cleanup / The Matrix Model of
Treatment / Women and
Methamphetamine / Latest Research /
Health Consequences /  Policy  /
Prosecution Issues / Trafficking /
Toxicology / Innovative Interventions /
Replacement Therapies / Prevention and
Education / Hepatitis A, B, & C Virus / HIV
Risk Behavior / Methamphetamine and
Reproductive Health / Treatment / Youth
and Use / Patterns of Use / Harm
Reduction / Innovative Interventions / Use
Among MSM / Trafficking  / Community-
based Coalitions / Injection Drug Use /
Epidemiology

Featured Speakers to include:

Dr. Richard Rawson, UCLA Integrated
Substance Abuse Programs, Los
Angeles   
Dr. Alex Wodak, MD Director, Alcohol and
Drug Services Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
Dr.  Carl Hart, Professor, Neuroscience
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia
University, New York
Andreas Plüddemann,  Senior Scientist,
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit
Medical, Cape Town
Prof. Lin Lu, MD, PhD Director of National
Institute of Drugs and Development,
Beijing
Dr Apinun Aramrattana, MD, PhD Faculty
of Medicine, Chiang Mai University,
Chiang Mai
Donald Rothenbaum, Senior Vice
President, Network Environmental
Systems, San Diego
Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch,  Director,
Open Society's Institute's Global Drug
Policy Program, Warsaw
Prof. Evgeny Krupitsky, MD, PhD Chief,
Department of Addiction at St. Petersburg
Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological
Institute, St. Petersburg
Dr. Tomas Zabransky, MD, PhD Research
and Development Manager Centre for
Addictology, Charles University, Prague
Dr. Michael Siever, Director, The
Stonewall Project, San Francisco
Caitlin Padgett, Coordinator and Founder
of Youth R.I.S.E., Vancouver
Dr. Gady Zabicky, MD Advisor, Centro
Nacional para la Prevención y Control del
VIH/SIDA (CENSIDA), Mexico City.       
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----
Georgia Prison Population Explodes
Because of Meth

This Join Together brief reveals overcrowding
in Georgia prisons, the fastest growing prison
population in the U.S., attributed to the meth
problem. It mentioned that 80% of convicted
felons were selling or under the influence of
meth when they committed their crimes.
http://www.jointogether.
org/news/headlines/inthenews/2007/meth-
blamed-for-georgia.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Strict Anti-Meth Laws in Oregon

This brief from Join Together discusses the
strict anti-meth legislation in Oregon in place
for the past two years, and the subsequent
consequences. While the laws significantly
reduced the mom-and-pop domestic meth lab

This story from Join Together is complete.

Overcoming Crystal Meth Addiction:
An Essential Guide to Getting Clean

Author: Steven J. Lee

In this book -- one of the few to address the topic
for a general audience -- Dr. Steven Lee, MD, a
psychiatrist who specializes in crystal meth
addiction, offers a complete guide to the drug, its
effects, and how to overcome it.

Based on extensive scientific and social
research and drawing from his professional
experience, Dr. Lee covers everything from the
definition and history of crystal meth to the
physical and psychological effects; from dealing
with the addictive personality to helping a friend
or family member cope with it.

He focuses on understanding rather than
outright condemnation of the drug, and
empathetically covers all of the crucial questions:
What is crystal meth? How is it made? How does
it affect the body? How do you know if you're
addicted to it? How do you stop using it? What if
you don't want to stop? If you are going to use CM
anyway, how can you minimize the damage?
What if you quit but slipped and used again?

Available at Amazon.com or in bookstores.

(Purchases from Amazon.com that originate on
this website benefit Join Together. More info)

Publication Year: 2006


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This article from Join Together Online
discusses
a new study revealing a higher rate
of violence and sexual risk-tasking among
meth users, as well as higher levels of alcohol,
tobacco and other drug use.

http://www.jointogether.
org/news/research/pressreleases/2007/meth-
users-involved-in.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This brief from Join Together reflects a new
report from NIDA that has revised the estimate
of meth use among young adults to a higher
number than originally thought.
http://www.jointogether.
org/news/research/summaries/2007/nida-revises-
meth-use.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many Women's Alcohol Problems Elude
Diagnosis
Women with alcohol problems may be
underdiagnosed because their symptoms can
differ from men's, a new study suggests.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
****************************
      The News Page
  Help for Drug Endangered Children

               by Taunya English
          Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Pa. (PRCN,  2008) – A Westmoreland County lawmaker says Pennsylvania needs a special
taskforce to help children who are living in homes where illegal drugs are being manufactured.

When police raid a secret methamphetamine lab, sometimes that house is home to a child.
Representative James Casorio says a taskforce dedicated to drug endangered children would help
police know what to do next.

“As opposed to saying we are going to put these children in foster care or maybe we are going to find a
place for them in a shelter, we are going to give them the resources, the care, the treatment, through
medical personnel who are on this board, and law enforcement personnel to guide them in the right
direction for the future.”

It’s an idea that’s already a reality in several Western states where the methamphetamine problem
first came to the nation’s attention.

In those states, social workers, law enforcement officers, physicians, psychologists and attorneys
collaborate to map out the medical procedures, drug testing protocols and psychological support that
drug endangered children might need.

Casorio says children who live near the chemicals that make up a meth lab -- or with people who are
under the influence of drugs – are vulnerable to neglect and psychological
problems.
                       
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meth traffic shifts lanes
       There are fewer local labs, but problems remain, officials say.

By Star-Gazette Columnist Jim Pfiffer

The bad news: From 2004 to 2006, Chemung County had more clandestine methamphetamine drug
labs than any other county in New York.


The good news: The number of known meth labs in the Twin Tiers had significantly dropped.

The bad news: Drug abusers in the Tiers are still getting high on meth, but now much of it is coming
from labs and suppliers in Canada and Mexico.

That's the latest good news-bad news from federal and local law enforcement officials.

Eight meth labs were busted in Chemung County and six in Tioga County, N.Y., from 2004 to 2006, the
latest numbers available, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Those numbers
don't include meth lab seizures since then -- including one in the town of Dix in Schuyler County and
one in Millport -- both discovered in January of this year.

Bradford County saw five labs found and destroyed in 2004 and 2005, say DEA officials.

Since 1999, more than 25 percent of all New York state methamphetamine cases have been in the
Southern Tier -- Chemung, Tioga and Broome counties, drug officials say.

Meth is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that can be cooked up in a crude lab. The drug can
be injected, snorted, smoked and eaten to get a long-lasting high. Some of the chemicals used to make
meth include pseudoephedrine, commonly found in over-the-counter cold medicines, and diet aids, lye,
acetone and brake cleaner.

Overall, the number of known meth labs in the Twin Tiers has steadily declined in the last four years,
thanks to better public education and tougher laws.

Anti-meth seminars, for everyone from municipal highway departments to school districts, has taught
the public what to be alert for -- chemical odors and discarded cold remedy packages -- and has
resulted in more citizens reporting suspected labs.

Additionally, new state and federal laws require people purchasing cold medicines with
pseudoephedrine to show identification and sign a log that authorities can track to monitor and bust
meth labs.

Law enforcement officials monitor those logs in local pharmacies to stop potential meth makers before
they can produce the drug.

Federal officials are doing the same.

"Just this year, our New York field division seized 216 kilograms of pseudoephedrine," says Erin
Mulvey, a spokeswoman from the DEA's New York City office. "That's enough to make 108 kilograms
(237.6 pounds) of meth."

While methamphetamine production appears to be slowing in the U.S., treatment for meth abuse has
more than doubled since 2000, say DEA officials. That, too, comes with a price.

That's because meth addicts are turning to identity theft to protect themselves when they seek
medical treatment, prescription drugs and health insurance.

But don't be lulled into believing that local criminals aren't manufacturing the drug.

"Yes, we've reduced the number of labs, but we're by no means out of the dark," Chemung County
Sheriff Chris Moss says. "Production may have gone down, but I don't know that demand has."

Now, instead of making the drug in homes, garages or trailers, druggies are making it in makeshift
camps in the middle of the woods where there are fewer homes and suspicious people to see and smell
the caustic chemicals in the highly addictive speed, Moss adds.

"People have just found more ingenious ways to make it," Moss says. "That includes making it in the
trunks of their cars. They drive around while it's cooking in the back of the car."

As long as there is a demand for the drug, there will be people willing to risk their lives and prison
time to make it. It's all about greed. As with most drug eradication programs, when you drive the drug
labs out of one area, they pop up in another.

That's why drug officials say they are seeing more meth coming into the U.S. from dealers and labs in
Canada and Mexico.

"It's always been that way," Mulvey says. "That's why in 2006 we began a new initiative with Canada
and Mexico to seize shipments coming into the U.S."

Like everything else, meth production and use has gone global.

If we don't keep up the fight, we'll all be in for a world of hurt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anhydrous ammonia and propane cylinders
                SAFETY ALERT

INTRODUCTION:   Readers of this bulletin should consult the law of their individual jurisdictions for
codes, standards and legal requirements applicable to them.  This bulletin merely suggests methods
which the reader may find useful in implementing applicable codes, standards and legal requirements.  
This material is not intended nor should it be construed (1) to set forth procedures which are the
general custom or practice in the propane industry; (2) to establish the legal standards of care owed by
propane distributors to their customers; or (3) to prevent the reader from using different methods to
implement applicable codes, standards or legal requirements.  The National Propane Gas Association
assumes no liability for reliance on the contents of this bulletin.  It is offered as a guide only to assist
expert and experienced teachers and managers in training in service personnel in their organizations.  

Caution!
The brass valve on a propane cylinder will be damaged if it comes in contact with anhydrous ammonia.
This deterioration will lead to cracking of the valve body or its components and can ultimately result in
a violent, unexpected expulsion of the valve from the cylinder, causing personal injury or death.

Background and Recommended Action
It has come to the attention of the National Propane Gas Association that propane cylinders are being
used in the manufacturing of Methamphetamines. This drug is commonly referred to as 'crank'.
Manufacturers of this illegal substance are using propane cylinders for the storage and the use of
anhydrous ammonia. These cylinders have been found in many states at cylinder exchange and
refilling locations as well as in hotel rooms and mobile laboratories, where the manufacturing of this
illegal substance takes place.

As observed in the illustrations, a blue-green stain on any brass portion of a service valve is evidence
that it may have been in contact with anhydrous ammonia*. The pungent odor of ammonia on or near
the cylinder is also an indication. If you suspect that a propane cylinder contains or has contained
anhydrous ammonia, exercise extreme caution and restrict access to the area.

It can be dangerous to move the cylinder due to the unknown integrity of the cylinder's service valve.
If you determine that it must be moved, keep in mind that hazards due to valve expulsion can be
reduced by pointing the end of the container in which the valve is placed away from yourself and
others and towards the most safe direction.

Immediately contact your Fire Department, Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Unit or the
nearest office of the United States Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
for information on properly disposing of the cylinder. If these respondents are not sure what to do, for
assistance call 1-800-728-2482, which is the contact number for PERS, an independent hazardous
materials information resource.

*Note: Sherwood valves contain a green coated valve stem. Additionally, a green thread sealing
compound is used on some valves. These valves should not be confused with those that have been
exposed to anhydrous ammonia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
C.A.M. Has a New Meeting Place
 C.A.M. members will meet the second Wednesday
                            of each month with CTC.

CTC (Communities That Care) is made up of a cross-section of citizens of Bradford County dedicated
to addressing the problems of the youth in their formative years.

The meeting place is in the Children's House, adjacent to the Towanda Memorial Hospital.    
                        They meet on a monthly basis at 8:30 a.m.  

CTC  was designed to address 5 adolescent problems.  Substance abuse, Crime, Violence, Teen
Pregnancy, and School Dropout.  C.A.M. members feel that the goals of both groups are close and
would enhance both by working together.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Meth War Continues
Elmira, NY Star-Gazette
By George Osgood
Star-Gazette Wellsboro Bureau

The kids told their town of Barton schoolmates and teachers that their parents made "bug juice" and let it go at that.

But the kids smelled like chemicals, and people noticed. The "bug juice" was the volatile witches' brew used to create
methamphetamine.

"The smell can get in their clothes and hair," said New York State Police Lt. Pat Garey. "In schools, people on the
lookout for meth are looking for anything unusual, like a chemical smell on a child. That's not uncommon on kids who
live in places where meth production is occurring. That's what happened here. And the parents were arrested."

Another victory in the battle against methamphetamine, a drug as deadly as it is addictive.

Law enforcement officials say the battles are becoming rarer and though the war wears on, the days of doom and gloom so
apparent three or four years ago appear to be over.

"We aren't seeing a lot of meth," said Garey, a member of the Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, known as C-
NET, which fights illegal drug use in the 10 counties composing the Southern Tier.

"Four or five years ago, from our perspective, we were getting information on a near-daily basis on meth manufacture
and dealers, and probably on a weekly basis on new lab locations," Garey said.

"It was getting to the point here on the local level that we thought we were going to be overrun. But that has changed."

Meth peaked in '03, '04

Bradford County Sheriff Steve Evans has long been a general in the meth war.

He has given countless "meth talks" to area residents on the nature and scope of the problem and ways to solve it.

A year ago, he said he was seeing significant progress in the effort to wipe out methamphetamine. Now, he sees even
more.

"You don't see the obvious signs on the street and the volume of people suspected to be under the influence of meth," he
said.

"I'm seeing a lot less dump sites along the road. There was a time when you would find meth-related items like ether
cans with holes in them, (hydrogen chloride) containers made out of soda bottles. You don't see as many of those now.

"The big change has taken place over about the last year-and-a-half," he said.

"The peak was in 2003 or 2004. Then the only way I can describe it is that it was an epidemic. Now, it's not."

Chemung County Sheriff Christopher Moss noted a drop in apparent meth-related activity in recent years.

"We are seeing fewer (meth) cases," he said.

"I would agree that we are seeing fewer labs. There have been fewer arrests for it."

But what firepower turned the tide? Answer: A multi-faceted arsenal.

Pseudoephedrine is a compound found in over-the- counter cold medicines that is vital to the production of meth.

Recent federal and state legislation has limited the amount of medicine containing pseudoephedrine an individual can
buy and requires each purchaser to provide identification and sign a log book.

Supply line cut off

"That's certainly slowing things down because it's making it a lot more difficult to acquire a supply of pseudoephedrine,"
Garey said.

"People are leery about putting their name down in the log. The way it is now, it requires multiple people to go to several
locations to buy. It makes the conspiracy to make meth bigger."

Investigators visit pharmacies and inspect the pseudoephedrine logs. They record the names listed there and, after
analyzing the results, they take action.

"Back earlier in (2007), April-ish, we made a number of arrests on the people who were purchasing in excess," he said.

"We did a case with the (federal Drug Enforcement Administration). We went around and did log checks and identified
people that we knew were associated with meth production in one way or another. We made a bunch of arrests. That
helped."

Those prosecutions continue. Some violators have already pleaded guilty.

A stronger law enforcement focus on the meth problem has also helped in the fight, Garey and others said.

"The problem was clearly identified by law enforcement," Garey said.

"Once that happened, everyone was looking. We went after it at a lot of different levels, and I think that worked. We have
made progress. We have done some things right."

So have a lot of folks who don't wear a badge or carry a sidearm.

Public awareness an ally

Public education programs have helped involve people outside the law enforcement loop and the drug culture.

That has made life more difficult for meth-makers.

"You have had increasing public awareness of what has been going on," Garey said.

"There has been a lot of prevention. There has been a multi-disciplinary approach where everyone got involved. There
has been a lot of detection. And it appears to have worked."

Police are still spreading the meth message, trying to use eyes and ears that live outside of patrol cars.

The Chemung County Sheriff's Office offers a variety of programs to educate the public.

"We have given over 35 presentations in the last 18 months," Moss said.

"We do them for all different kinds of organizations, such as electric companies, phone companies, cable companies,
VFWs, volunteer fire departments. We tailor the presentation to the targeted audience."

They tell people to be observant -- and careful.

"We are still telling people to look for the same things," Garey said.

"Any unusual activity, especially at night. The location doesn't necessarily have to be remote.

"Certainly, we are telling them to be aware of strange chemical odors, to look for windows that have been covered over
where people are trying to conceal what they have going on," he said.

"They should look for unusual garbage around the residence, because these people tend to be a little lax in their
housekeeping. They should be aware of plastic tubing, starting-fluid cans. There are lots of signs."

Warning over complacency

Public scrutiny and increased law enforcement attention may have driven meth production further underground, where
it's harder to find and fight.

"Does the fact that we are finding less labs mean the perpetrators have found better ways to hide meth production?"
Moss asked. "We don't know."

So although battles have been won, the war isn't over.

"I think we have been in a much better pattern for over a year," Evans said.

"But meth is still here, and we are still working to root it out.

"We suspect that the meth that is still being manufactured is being made by very paranoid people who are taking much
greater precautions to conceal their activities," he said.  Moss agreed.

His department has received a grant to support its "Rid Area of Amphetamine," or "RAM" program, which combines
education and enforcement.

"We know it's still out there," he said.

Which means the fight must go on, Evans said.

"Anyone who is making meth, we want in jail, preferably outside of our county," Evans said.
"This is a problem we have got to fight to extinction."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is not about a drug.  
It doesn't hurt -- it just kills.
Mostly the young.

By reading this you may just save a child's life.

If you have children, grandchildren, or just care about children,
PLEASE read this officer's story carefully.
DUST OFF (or a variant of the product) is available everywhere there's a
computer.  

First I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name is Jeff.  I am a Police Officer for a city which is known
nationwide for its crime rate.  We have a lot of gangs and drugs.  At one point we were # 2 in the nation in homicides
per capita.  I also have a police K-9 named Thor.  He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years old
because he was shot in the line of duty.  He lives with us now and I still train with him because he likes it.  I always liked
the fact that there was no way to bring drugs into my house.  Thor wouldn't allow it.  He would tell on you.  The reason I
say this is so you understand that I know about drugs.  I have taught in schools about drugs.  My wife asks all our kids
at least once a week if they used any drugs.  Makes them promise they wont.

I like building computers occasionally and started building a new one in February 2005.  I also was working on some of
my older computers. They were full of dust so on one of my trips to the computer store I bought a 3 pack of DUST OFF.  
Dust Off is a can of compressed air to blow dust off a computer. A few weeks later when I went to use one of them they
were all used. I talked to my kids and my two sons both said they had used them on their computer and messing around
with them.  I yelled at them for wasting the 10 dollars I paid for them.  On February 28 I went back to the computer store.
They didn't have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a single jumbo can of DUST OFF.   I went home and
set it down beside my computer.

On March 1st, I left for work at 10 PM.  Just before midnight my wife went down and kissed Kyle goodnight.   At 5:30 am
the next morning Kathy went downstairs to wake Kyle up for school, before she left for work.  He was propped up in
bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over.  She called to him a few times to get up.  He didn't move.  He
would sometimes tease her like this and pretend he fell back asleep.  He was never easy to get up.  She went in and
shook his arm.  He fell over.  He was pale white and had the straw from the Dust Off can coming out of his mouth.  He
had the new can of DUST OFF in his hands.  Kyle was dead.

I am a police officer and I had never heard of this.  My wife is a nurse and she had never heard of this.  We later found
out from the coroner, after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of DUST OFF was in his system. No other
drugs.  Kyle had died between midnight and 1 AM.

I found out that using DUST OFF is being done mostly by kids ages 9 through 15. They even have a name for it.  It's
called dusting.  A take off from the DUST OFF name.   It gives them a slight high for about 10 seconds.   It makes them
dizzy.   A boy who lives down the street from us showed Kyle how to do this about a month before.  Kyle showed his
best friend.  Told him it was cool and it couldn't hurt you.  Its just compressed air.  It can't hurt you.  His best friend said
no.

Kyle was wrong.  It's not just compressed air.  It also contains a propellant called R2.  Its a refrigerant like what is used
in your refrigerator.  It is a heavy gas.  Heavier than air.  When you
inhale it, it fills your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out.  That's why you feel dizzy, buzzed.  It decreases
the oxygen to your brain, to your heart.  Kyle was right.  It can't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU.  The horrible part about this is
there is no warning.  There is no level that kills you.   It's not cumulative or an overdose;  it can just go randomly, terribly
wrong.  Roll the dice and if your number comes up you die.  IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE.  It's Russian Roulette.  You don't
die later.  Or not feel good and say I've had too much.  You usually die as you're breathing it in.  If not, you die within 2
seconds of finishing "the hit." That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he died.  Why his eyes were still
open.

The experts want to call this huffing.  The kids don't believe it's huffing.   As adults we tend to lump many things
together. But it doesn't fit here. And that's why it's more accepted. There is no chemical reaction, no strong odor.  It
doesn't follow the huffing signals.  Kyle complained a few days before he died of his tongue hurting.  It probably did.  
The propellant causes frostbite.  If I had only known.

It's easy to say hey, it's my life and I'll do what I want.  But it isn't.  Others are always affected. This has forever changed
our family's life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be
fixed.  The pain is so immense I can't describe it.  There's nowhere to run from it.  I cry all the time and I don't ever cry.  I
do what I'm supposed to do but I don't really care.  My kids are messed up. One won't talk about it. The other will only
sleep in our room at night.  And my wife, I can't even describe how bad she is taking this.  I thought we were safe
because of Thor.   I thought we were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about them.

After Kyle died another story came out.   A Probation Officer went to the school system next to ours to speak with a
student.  While there he found a student using DUST OFF in the bathroom. This student told him about another
student who also had some in his locker. This is a rather affluent school system. They will tell you they don't have a
drug problem there. They don't even have a Dare or Plus program there. So rather than tell everyone about this "new"
way of getting high they found, they hid it. The probation officer told the media after Kyle's death and they, the school,
then admitted to it.   I know that if they would have told the media and I had heard, it wouldn't have been in my house.

We need to get this out of our homes and school computer labs. Using DUST OFF isn't new and some "professionals"
do know about it.  It just isn't talked about much, except by the kids.  They all seem to know about it.

April 2nd was 1 month since Kyle died.  April 5th would have been his 15th birthday.  And every weekday I catch myself
sitting on the living room couch at 2:30 in the afternoon and waiting to see him get off the bus.  I know Kyle is in
heaven but I can't help but wonder if I died and went to Hell.

                ----------------

This Officer is asking for everyone who receives this email to forward it to everyone in their address book, even other
Law Enforcement Officers.

You can verify the story at http://www.snopes.com/toxins/dustoff.asp  or http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBReal.
shtml#dustoff
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"Meth news from around the nation"
News items from around the country provided by our excellent List Server in Bucks County,
PA.  Melanie Swanson and Tim Philpot provide an invaluable service.  Servers from many
states share information about methamphetamine through this site in Doylestown, PA
Their address is at the end of this listing.
________________________________________________________

Below is the the press release from the Office of Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania
Attorney General, concerning the above-referenced drug bust. Entitled
"Operation Speedball," it was implemented by the Attorney General's
Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and the Blair County Drug Task Force.
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=2792

***********************************
Melanie Swanson, M.Ed.  Prevention Specialist
Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
252 West Swamp Road, Unit 12        Doylestown, PA 18901
mswanson@bccadd.org        http://www.drugfreestudents.org
http://www.bccadd.org

**************************************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STNYMPP  Website
We are sharing the following link to the website of the Southern Tier of New York
Methamphetamine Coalition.
http://www.southerntiermeth.com

________________________________________________________

Southern Tier of New York Methamphetamine Prevention Program

Welcome to the STNYMPP Website!
The Southern Tier of New York Methamphetamine Prevention Program is a coalition
comprised of a variety of agencies and members from the Southern Tier (Broome, Tioga, and
Chemung counties)  that have joined together to educate the community on the dangers of use,
addiction, and manufacture of Methamphetamine. The coalition was founded by Dr. Ellen
Vachon in March of 2006, and generally meets monthly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Information
Telephone 607-748-8696
FAX 607-748-8696

Postal address
Dr. Ellen E. Vachon, CASAC
Johnson City, NY
Electronic mail
General Information: evtrainings@stny.rr.com
Webmaster: evtrainings@stny.rr.com  
Community Against Methamphetamine
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