Drug Rehab Could Help Little Rock's Candy Meth Problem

New legislation which makes it difficult to obtain ephedrine, the main ingredient in methamphetamine, has had great success in reducing the number of clandestine meth labs. But because meth is so addictive, super labs in Mexico and California have been shipping the drug into the state to meet demand. To compound matters, dealers are now flavoring the drug in hopes of attracting new, younger clientele.

Last spring the new trend in Little Rock became strawberry flavored methamphetamine or as it's known on the street, Strawberry Quik.

It's a sleazy marketing campaign that's being used by drug dealers who are all too happy to make money off the addiction and destruction meth brings. It's not the first of such campaigns and surely won't be the last.

Methamphetamine is one of the most dangerous illicit drugs available. With a base of ephedrine, it's "cooked down" with a mixture of other extremely corrosive chemicals such as drain cleaners, lye, fertilizer and batteries. It ravishes the body and is extremely addictive.

State and Local officials are doing what they can to halt sales and obviously their work must continue. But we must realize that laws and arrests are only a short term fix. As long as there is demand, there will always be drug dealers.

The truth is that most kids today don't have any idea about what illicit drugs do or just how harmful they can be. Dealers and pushers capitalize off the insidious idea that getting high is the cool or popular thing to do. It's a lie that's ultimately exposed, but only after the individual has become wrapped in addiction. He now knows the damage that's being done but is powerless to stop. This is where intervention and drug rehab become a must.

You can bet good money that dealers don't inform their customers as to the ramifications of using their product. Tell a customer the product he's about to smoke is made from hydrochloric acid and lithium batteries? Tell him that it could kill him? That's just bad business.

So, it's up to us. The idea that illicit drug use is or should be an acceptable thing has got to change. Only drug education will reduce demand for illicit drugs.

Talk to your kids about drugs and if you know someone who's become addicted help get them find a good drug rehab center so they can stop the addiction.