Alaska: Drug Addicts
A person caught up in the search for drugs reminds Alaska Native leader Katie John of a mosquito that flies from person to person seeking a blood meal while risking death.
Don't follow the example of Alaska's most notorious insect, she warned delegates at the AFN/First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference at the Carlson Center on Tuesday.
"Just be good," the Mentasta Lake elder said.
John, known statewide for her stand on subsistence rights, spoke after a panel discussion about the effects of drugs and alcohol among Alaska Native youth.
The state has the highest occurrence of drug abuse per capita in the nation, said Tim Burgess, the U.S. attorney for Alaska.
He showed a series of photos of young methamphetamine users. Instead of appearing vibrant and alive, they had empty eyes, sunken cheeks, missing teeth and, in some cases, scabby skin.
Long-term meth use causes users to scratch their skin bloody in pursuit of imaginary bugs. It also dries out the mouth, causing teeth to rot and fall out.
A gasp arose from the crowd at the sight of a haggard woman whose photos documented her descent from runaway teen to hardened prostitute to an addled, aged woman in only a few years.
"It's inexpensive to buy, but it has a very huge cost on your body," he said.
Meth, also known at crank, glass or ice, has been making an appearance in Alaska but hasn't reached the staggering rates of use found in the Lower 48, Burgess said. The drug is sniffed, smoked and injected.
Two types of methamphetamine can be found in Alaska. The first is imported in "super labs," large illegal manufacturing facilities.
Those labs are being shut down in the United States, he said, but are popping up in Mexico.
The other kind comes from smaller, home labs. Meth is made from a variety of common household ingredients such as brake fluid and drain cleaner. The byproducts are toxic. For every pound of methamphetamine, 6 pounds of deadly byproducts are produced.
Young children of meth users are often exposed to those toxic chemicals, he said. Many times police find children in home labs coated with a fine powder of methamphetamine and other harmful chemicals. The labs are volatile and children could suffer severe burns.
Burgess urged young people to resist the highly addictive and body-altering drug.
It does produce a high--the first time it's used--but addicts are compelled to seek that elusive high again and again, he said. Loss of appetite and sleep are short-term side effects. But after continued use, psychosis and brain damage is irreversible.
Use of the drug also increases the prevalence of HIV because it causes people to lose inhibitions or share needles.
"By the time I see someone, it's almost too late," he said. "This is having a devastating impact around the Lower 48. It's something you need to know about."
Elders in the audience spoke of the need for young people to remember their responsibility to lead the next generation of Alaska Natives.
"The only way I know is to have respect for elders and to have a good home life," said Iver Malutin of Kodiak.
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