A Brief Summary of the Methamphetamine Addiction in South Carolina

Methamphetamine addiction in South Carolina has increased immensely in the last ten years. This is a new type of street addiction that has become quite popular especially among the young population of the state.

In a few short years, methamphetamine addiction in South Carolina has surpassed the number of people that are in other forms of addiction such as heroin and cocaine. Though there have been some dips in the addiction trends in the state such as in the period between 2005 to 2006, overall the trend has shown an incline in a very unfavorable manner. Let us check out some details about this spate of methamphetamine addiction in South Carolina.

What are the Sources of Methamphetamine Addiction in South Carolina?

The main sources of methamphetamine in South Carolina are the region of Atlanta in Georgia and the country of Mexico. Mexico is actually the major source of methamphetamine addiction all over the United States. The drug comes in from here in various forms through road trafficking and is then spread over in the various areas of the state where the youth groups come together. This is one of the main reasons why the dominance of this drug’s usage has been in the youth groups of the state.

This illegal trafficking through the roadways notwithstanding, there is also a large number of meth labs operating in the state that are responsible for the production of methamphetamine in a clandestine manner. Though the meth labs are not as many in number as in neighboring Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, they are quite significant when taken in measure with the overall methamphetamine addiction statistics in the state. However, there are some labs within the state that are producing as many as ten pounds of methamphetamine per day and distributing it where it hits the most, i.e. in places where the young people hang out. In addition, they are also responsible for producing crystal meth, a purer version of methamphetamine, which is also several times more addictive than methamphetamine is.

Both these substances are wreaking havoc in the scenario of drug addiction in South Carolina. The problem is indeed major, and an important reason for that is the sourcing of the drug from both local and out of state resources.

What Laws are being applied to control Methamphetamine Addiction in South Carolina?

The laws for controlling the usage of methamphetamine and crystal meth in South Carolina are surprisingly laxer than those applied in the neighboring states.

The supply of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine is either totally banned or under strict regulation in the adjoining states of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. However, South Carolina has rejected several proposals to control the availability of these substances. Incidentally, both ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are present in some cough syrups and these are the substances from where the local manufacturers of methamphetamine produce this substance. By regulating the over-the-counter supply, the authorities can ensure that the meth lab operators do not get their supply of the drug.

However, two programs have been implemented with utmost dedication in the state. One of these programs is the Meth Watch, which is a surveillance program on the various meth labs that are clandestinely operating in the state. By the means of the reports that these watchers get, there are also occasional crackdowns on these labs. This has helped bring a lot of these surreptitiously operating outfits to book.

Another program that is helping bring the methamphetamine problem in the state under control is known simply as the Drug Endangered Children. This is a program that caters to children who are trapped in a rut because of the addictions of their parents. The program helps these minor children to face life on their own, while at the same time counseling their parents to get out of their addiction.

In addition, a lot of rehab centers especially dedicated to meth addiction treatment have started in South Carolina in the past few years. These treatment centers are quite well-versed in the way the addiction works and hence they have specific programs to help people come out of this habit. Detoxification is a vital aspect of this program; however, detox for methamphetamine treatment follows quite a different pattern because of the highly addictive nature of the substance. The detox program also takes much longer for methamphetamine than it does for other forms of addiction treatment. This is continued with a length aftercare process that also includes the families of the patients so that the treatment can be substantiated to a greater extent.