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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.