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The year 2013 will mark the fifth anniversary of the Emmy awarded to Crystal Darkness, a documentary about methamphetamine addiction in New Mexico. Its production began in 2006; in 2007 through 2009, the documentary was broadcast throughout the Southwest—in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Nevada, as well as in California, Oregon, Arkansas, and even in Sonora, Mexico. Maybe it’s time for a revival.

The documentary resulted from a mother’s despair about her 26-year-old daughter’s methamphetamine addiction. Linda Peña described the anguish she felt about her daughter Darlene Vigil’s use and her attempt to stop it with tough love—kicking her out of the house in the hopes that she would come to her senses and get well. Peña prayed to God for His help and promised that if He helped, she would spread the word about her daughter’s addiction in a heartfelt attempt to help others.

After a nine-year struggle for her daughter to get clean and stay clean, Peña contacted a local television talk show and offered to appear on the show to discuss the horrors of methamphetamine. Her appearance resulted in a documentary, produced by a company called Global Studio and financed by a nonprofit community-based organization called Secret Witness.

Secret Witness is still active today, but the website for Crystal Darkness looks like it hasn’t seen any action in a few years. This is a puzzle, especially considering that its initial broadcast was a series of concerted events called a media roadblock, meaning that when it was broadcast in specific cities, all the local stations in the given city agreed to run it at the same time. It was successful, too; in Arizona, it resulted in over 1,200 people requesting help for addiction after its airing.

Besides her involvement with the video, Peña became involved with Parents Stop Meth, the New Mexico State District Office of Mothers Against Meth-Amphetamine (MAMA). MAMA was formed by an Alabama woman whose 22-year-old brother died from his meth addiction.

Despite the apparent inactivity of the Crystal Darkness website, MAMA is still operative and offering a wealth of information and encouragement for people who want to achieve recovery. A video called Meth Inside Out shows us a young man who states that what he now craves is his recovery. Other recovering addicts make the point that struggling with relapse can indicate a person’s healing, that he is beginning to recognize the consequences of drug addiction.  

The video also shows how the brain can heal once methamphetamine use is stopped. Neural receptors and transporters regenerate within a year, and brain scans performed on recovering patients demonstrate cellular improvement. The brain’s level of dopamine increases, and people begin to feel good again without drugs.

It would be great to revive distribution of the Crystal Darkness video about two people fighting against methamphetamine addiction in New Mexico. Whether or not that happens, it’s encouraging to hear MAMA’s messages about what recovery means. It means going to bed wanting to use but waking up knowing you’re clean. It means setting goals—and reaching them. It means having patience with family members and regaining their trust.

One young lady says does not regret that she is an addict, because her addiction and her recovery have made her who she is today. She says she looks in the mirror every day and tells herself, “You rock!” It’s a feeling like no other, one that she wouldn’t trade for anything. It’s a feeling that every addict can achieve. For help with methamphetamine addiction contact Vista Taos Renewal Center at 1.800.245.8267.

Resource:

Mothers Against Meth-Amphetamine, New Mexico State District Office. http://www.parentsstopmeth.org/gateway.htm.

There’s not much good anymore about the protagonist in AMC’s Breaking Bad. It’s a television show about a guy hit hard by an inoperable cancer diagnosis who decides to sell drugs in order to preserve his family’s finances even after he dies.  

But for the addicts that use methamphetamines in New Mexico, it’s just too much that they can buy bath salts that look like the meth sold on the show or rock candy that looks like meth.  Both products are now available in New Mexico stores, sold in the same kind of plastic bags used to distribute the meth on the TV show. According to John Gliona in the Los Angeles Times online on 11/12/2012, you can buy spa products dyed blue to resemble crystal meth. A pastry shop sells doughnuts decorated by “blue meth” and a local candy store offers blue “meth candy.”

A Critically Acclaimed Show

Most everybody involved in the Hollywood end of the business agrees that Breaking Bad is well written, well directed, and well acted. It has received 117 industry nominations and 35 awards, to date. 

Series Creator Vince Gilligan sought to create a character living guilelessly in the light who is thrust into the dark. He wanted to build a show around the drive toward change. With his main character having traveled down the darkly lit path into murder a couple seasons ago, he has pretty well done that.

Wouldn’t anyone be tempted into a life of crime and drugs when faced by insurmountable bills from treatment for cancer? It’s natural that Walter White, the former high school teacher-turned-meth manufacturer played by Bryan Cranston, wants to leave this world knowing that he has preserved his family’s future security. He teams up with a high school student, Jesse, as a partner; other characters include Walt’s wife, Skyler, and her brother, Hank, who just happens to be a DEA agent. It’s not long before Walt and Jesse are sucked into the ugly world of high-level drug distribution.

The Problem With Glorifying Drugs

Gilligan started out with a pure motive, to show the changes that happen when darkness descends over a man’s life. He has stated that he wants to demonstrate that actions bring consequences. People long to see the bad guys in life get slapped down, he says, so they know that there really is karma in the world.

Unfortunately, however, people who descend into the dismal abyss of drug abuse and dependency live beyond caring about that karma. They live in a constant state of denial that what they are doing is bad for them. Whether they use methamphetamines in New Mexico, Maine, or even Alaska, they will take a show like Breaking Bad as a shining example of how cool they are. Even if they’re just smoking weed in Washington or Colorado, the lifestyle is glamorized. They won’t point to someone who’s choking from their vomit, like Jane in Breaking Bad in Season Two. Users will even shoplift the rock candy or bath salts from a store’s shelves so they can take enjoy the product while they’re high.

Maybe those users need to think twice. From methamphetamine users in New Mexico to the marijuana users of Colorado, they put themselves and their families at risk. Meth labs blow up. Drug dealers are not there to be a friend but rather to support the user’s habit.  For some people, jail can be a safe place where they’re not using or dealing with people who can endanger them.  Intervention in a drug rehab center is a better option. Maybe that’s the message that Gillian should work on to send viewers.

A retired Denver sheriff who was awarded the 2001 Sheriff of the Year Award hasn’t been out of the legal limelight since his retirement. Former sheriff Patrick Sullivan became involved with the law again after a 10-year hiatus; only this time, he was on the wrong side of the badge.

Sullivan, 69, was arrested for methamphetamine use, distribution, and solicitation of prostitution in exchange for the drug. The former lawman pleaded guilty to the charges after being presented with video evidence that depicted Sullivan distributing meth to men in exchange for sex.

The former Arapahoe County sheriff (1984 to 2002) seems to have fallen far from his glory days as the2001 Sheriff of the Year and 1995 appointee to the National Commission of Crime Prevention and Control. The highly acclaimed sheriff even had a Colorado jail named in his honor, which in an ironic twist, is where he will serve his 38 day sentence. 

Sullivan was hopeful that he may serve his time, seek forgiveness and move his life forward in a positive direction, according to his statement to the court at sentencing. This apology and these realizations may be the first step Sullivan needs to take to overcome his meth addiction, and his court-appointed substance abuse treatment will be the next crucial step to his meth addiction recovery.

As Sullivan moves forward, he will attend a substance abuse treatment center like Visa Taos Renewal Center, where he can focus on recovering from his meth addiction. Soon, the lawman may be moving forward in a positive direction, just as he hoped, with the assistance of a meth addiction recovery center.

A 4-year old and a 5-year old are lucky to be alive after their mother drove while high on drugs. The 24-year old mother, Feleasha Hicks, was high on methamphetamines when she crashed her car at the corner of SW 29th Street and Portland Avenue in Oklahoma City on Friday, March 30.

Police responded to a citizen call about an injury accident at around 8 p.m. They found Hicks and her two children unharmed. The airbags had deployed. The car suffered a broken headlight.

Upon arrival, police found Hicks to be agitated. She touched her face often, grinded her teeth, and fidgeted. Oklahoma City Police Department officers issued a field sobriety test, which Hicks failed. They also found marijuana on her person. She was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. Her young children were taken into protective custody.

Hicks was no stranger to driving under the influence. The mother lost her license due to a DWI conviction ten days prior to this arrest.

As she moves forward in the legal system, Hicks faces charges for all of her offenses, but she could also lose custody of her children due to child endangerment. Her meth addiction could cost her the most important people in her life.

Sadly, Hicks’ case is quite common in the meth addiction community. The draw to meth is often so strong that those who suffer from meth addiction can put their loved ones in harm’s way, even their young children.

There is hope, though. Meth addiction can be beat with the help of the caring staff at rehab facilities like Vista Taos Renewal Center in New Mexico. Call today for more information.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, police officers entered an apartment building on Friday, February 10th, in response to a call about a strong smell coming from a small apartment, never suspecting that they would encounter dangerous chemicals from a potential meth lab.

As soon as the officers walked in the apartment building’s front door, they were assaulted by the smell and chemical effects. Forced to withdraw because they were not properly equipped, the officers left the scene quickly. However, the withdrawal wasn’t quick enough; all of the responding officers felt the effects of the chemicals, which included headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Two of those officers had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

A hazmat team was called in, and the police department and fire department have been carefully decontaminating the building. They now await a warrant to enter the small apartment, but two individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.

The entire neighborhood has been evacuated, including a total of four apartment buildings, numerous homes, and a teen center. The evacuation was ordered both because of the chemicals’ known dangers to citizen health and because of the increased potential for a fire.

Unfortunately, meth addiction is a serious problem in the United States, and it makes meth labs such as these a more commonplace danger to the general public. Thankfully, meth addiction can be overcome with the proper treatment, such as is available at Vista Taos Renewal Center; the center is located just 85 miles north of Santa Fe, where this took place.

If you or someone you love suffers from meth addiction, please let Vista Taos help them with tried and true 12 step inpatient programs and complimentary therapies.  

A new, very dangerous method for making the drug methamphetamine, also known as meth, has begun to cost taxpayers millions of dollars. The drug-making method is known as the shake-and-bake method because producers must pour dangerous chemicals together in a plastic soda bottle and shake to mix the concoction. The chemical reaction bakes the drug within the bottle, but it means that a slight mistake can make the mixture blow up in the “chemist’s” face.

Although this method is so dangerous that thousands of meth cooks are harmed by brewing the chemical drug every year, it remains a method of choice for a number of reasons. First, the chemicals used in the concoction are quite common and readily available. Second, the method can be employed anywhere, from a car to a stall in a public restroom. And third, the drug can be made in minutes rather than hours using this new soda-bottle method.

Unfortunately, the dangers of disfiguration, chemical burns and death don’t outweigh the ease of operation for many drug-makers, and hospitals and taxpayers have had to shoulder the financial burden of meth injuries. Many meth cooks are uninsured, so when an accident does occur, the typical $130,000 cost of hospital treatment alone (not counting rehabilitation costs) often either forces hospitals to close burn units or forces the government to cover the cost.

Meth addiction does not appear to be ending soon, though. Many of those injured in meth accidents continue on the meth addiction path, since the drug is so addictive. However, when those suffering from meth addiction seek help at a drug rehabilitation center like Vista Taos in New Mexico, they are more likely to kick their meth addiction and begin life afresh. Contact Vista Taos today to learn about the meth treatment program they offer as well as the complimentary therapies that provide comfort and ease stress affiliated with drug detoxification.

Earlier this year, law enforcement officials disclosed the amount of drugs seized in an Austin, Texas raid. The drugs seized were only a small part of the total amount transported in a huge drug-trafficking operation.

The Texas Syndicate gang has run a mega-sized drug trafficking operation, often transporting up to 20 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and a half ton of marijuana each month. The gang focused on transporting the drugs from Mexico to Austin, Texas via Interstate 35. From there, the drugs were distributed to many other locations in America.

This Austin, Texas news has led to a greater awareness of the problems faced in methamphetamine addiction. Also known by its shorter name Crystal Meth, the drug creates a chemical imbalance in the user. Used properly as part of a medical treatment for ADHD or obesity, this can provide energy, alertness and concentration for those who have a legitimate need for this medicine

However, when the drug is abused, it can lead to methamphetamine addiction, severe psychosis, hallucinations, cardiovascular damage and “meth mouth,” a severe deterioration of the user’s teeth. In addition, the methamphetamine addiction can be very difficult to break; the withdrawal period can last several months to a year, making it harder for the user to resist the drug.

At Vista Taos Renewal Center, the approach for methamphetamine addiction recovery centers around more than just drug treatments. The holistic approach focuses on both the addiction and the underlying reasons that instigated the addiction; healing the whole person, not just the methamphetamine addiction. Vista Taos’ clinic is located in New Mexico; it can cater to persons in the Austin Texas area looking for help with drug or alcohol addiction.

Many states in the lower part of the U.S. have seen increasingly higher numbers in the amount of users of methamphetamines. A recent study completed throughout the western states showed a significant amount of meth showing up in work drug screening tests done in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona.

The study was prepared by Quest Economics and they found that Hawaii’s amount of positive screenings of meth were 410 percent greater than the national average. That number is astounding and brings into question why this state and other states with high meth users are so significant. What leads these states to have such an extreme amount of meth addiction users?

It makes one wonder if the state of the economy has anything to do with it. From people depressed about not having jobs to those who might choose to make meth labs as a method to make money because they cannot get a real job. But meth addiction is a dangerous and disfiguring disease. Not only does it destroy your insides, but it also ruins your teeth and skin.

For meth addiction users, the drug creates intense periods of euphoria, alertness, concentration, and energy as well as irritability, restlessness and aggressiveness. With the economy suffering, it seems more people are turning to this drug in order to “survive” especially those juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet. But there is a better way to function in life that does not involve drugs. Meth addicts have poor judgment, and wreak havoc on their loved ones and health. With the right type of counseling and treatment, those using meth as a means to survive can now find a healthy way to cope with the struggles of life without ruining their lives and the lives of the ones who love them the most.

If you or a love one is suffering from a meth addiction, or any other type of drug or alcohol addiction, please do not hesitate to pick up the phone and call Vista Taos today. They are there to help in the most positive and enlightening way possible and their mission is to help those in need get the treatment they need to lead a better life free of drugs.

A new opiate drug is making its rounds overseas and it’s only a matter of time before the U.S. deals with this dangerous drug. This designer drug called Krokodil is a derivative of the powerful drug morphine, and what makes this drug so frightening is the awful side effects that users experience. Side effects include but are not limited to turning skin greenish in color, scaly and eventually causing it to completely rot away.

Krokodil, also known as desomorphine, has mainly shown up in Russia, where over 65 million doses have been seized in just three months time. The DEA has closely monitored this drug hoping to keep it out of the United States. Opiate addiction is one of the hardest addictions to overcome and this dangerous drug is no different from any other opiate-derived medication.

The drug is mainly made from mixing codeine with gasoline, iodine, paint thinner, red phosphorous and hydrochloric acid. In Russia, codeine is easily made available over the counter, while in the U.S. you must have a prescription. Krokodil is known to have the same effects as heroin, but is supposedly much cheaper to make which is why it is becoming more prevalent in the drug world. Sadly, in Russia, individuals are shooting up this potentially deadly opiate mix so much that it has become an epidemic in their county.

At the drug injection site, Krokodil literally kills the skin and causes non-repairable damage to the body. This opiate drug is completely self-destructive and incredibly addictive. At Vista Taos Renewal Center, they can provide help and assistance in overcoming opiate addiction and leading a healthier lifestyle.

Opiate addiction is not something a person can overcome by themselves. With the help of Vista Taos, they can turn their life around and make positive changes and kick a deadly habit at the same time.

Oklahoma is looking into a law comparable to an Oregon law which enforces a prescription requirement for pseudoephedrine, which is the key ingredient used in methamphetamines. By restricting availability to this drug, Oklahoma is hoping to curb meth addiction and usage in the state.

Oregon has already seen success in creating this law. The law requiring a prescription was enforced in 2005 and, since then meth labs have declined within the state, if not disappeared altogether. Oklahoma is hoping to gain this same success in alleviating meth addiction and access to meth supplies.

What this law implies is that medications such as Sudafed and similar products would now need a prescription instead of being readily available over the counter for purchase. Methamphetamines are a scary and highly addictive drug. Most users become instantly addicted and have urges for more almost immediately. With the help of law makers enforcing restrictions on drugs used in meth, it can help curb addiction and limit availability of drug use.

Law makers can do their part to help keep drugs off the street, but those battling meth addiction also desperately need the help found in rehabilitation centers. At Vista Taos, users are welcomed with open arms because all they want is for you to get better and overcome your addiction. If you or a loved one is suffering from this disease, please do not hesitate to seek the treatment and comfort they need.