Dissent Of The Day

A reader writes:

I really appreciated your piece (and harrowing photo) about the problem of crystal meth in America.  It is a mainly white, rural horror that is destroying working-class families and towns yet the GOP and "tough on drugs" moralists still demonize all drug use as a black or gay inner-city problem that occasionally seeps into suburbia.  Not true with crystal meth. Having lived in Alaska, and having a mother who works in drug crisis in rural New Mexico, I can attest to meth's horrible grip and extreme societal damage.

However, as a realist when it comes to fighting drug abuse I have to say your final statement - "most become an addict as soon as they try one dose" - does not help battle the problem, and probably does more harm than good. 

People have used crystal meth and not become addicts, myself included. True, the risk is extremely high of developing a dependency and the damaging and life-altering results of crystal meth are perhaps the most extreme and quickly occurring of any drug.  However, to throw around "Reefer Madness" anecdotes like "one time and you're hooked" probably does more harm than good as those who do dabble in the drug world know that is not the case. You risk making them ignore the entire message as fanciful and alarmist even if 90% of it is sound and vital.

Statistics show:

• more than 12 million Americans have tried methamphetamine 
• 1.5 million Americans are regular users