LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[April 5th, 2006] LETTER FROM THE FRONT

I cannot speak to the accuracy of the stats used by The Oregonian regarding methamphetamine ["Meth Madness," WW, March 22, 2006]. I can speak to the anguish I see daily as an emergency nurse: Violence fueled by paranoia and poor impulse control. Families and communities suffering from erratic or threatening behaviors common with meth use.

I can speak to the joy and the pain I share parenting my 4-year-old granddaughter, with my husband's ex-wife, while watching our 27-year-old daughter struggle with her addictions, including cyclic meth use.

The police know her well; neighbors have logged dozens of calls to law enforcement because of their concerns. They [cops] never follow through with threats to arrest her "next time"—"Not enough jail beds."

I don't want her in a jail bed. I want her in court-ordered treatment with enforced legal consequences for non-compliance. I want her to get well. I want my grandchild's dream to come true, a mama who could "be with me all the time."

Why aren't DHS and law enforcement keeping stats on what drugs are in the systems of the people in their "system"? We could count the cost accurately. Prevention and treatment could be targeted to the greatest need.

Let's make those who spend our dollars account, with accurate stats, what the truth of the drug is, and then let's face the truth.

Susan Kuhnhausen
Southeast Alder Street

METH AND MATH

As a frequent visitor to Oregon, I am always interested in the news reported in your papers. On March 22, a WW article exposed shoddy investigative reporting in The Oregonian regarding the supposed meth epidemic in Oregon.

I have come to expect the government-backed drug warriors to use anecdotes with the same authority as statistical evidence. It is disappointing to see a newspaper succumb to this tactic. Mostly, it is a tragedy when precious dollars are diverted to law enforcement and prison expansion at the expense of programs that could have a real impact on social problems.

The Oregonian is playing into the hands of a few alarmists who know fear sells. It is gratifying to see that Willamette Week has revealed the obvious: The Oregonian will sacrifice facts for fiction if it boosts the bucks.

Claudia Little
San Diego

FOR FURTHER STUDY

To Angela Valdez: Thank you very, very much for your insightful, well-reasoned, carefully researched article, "Meth Madness." Most reportage that I see on drug use generally—and methamphetamine use specifically—is sloppy, simplistic and misleading. Your work is refreshingly different.

If you continue on the meth beat, I welcome you to use as a resource "A Key to Methamphetamine-Related Literature," a thematic index of meth-related research articles appearing principally in peer-reviewed journals (www.nyhealth.gov/diseases/aids/harm_reduction/crystalmeth/docs/meth_literature_index.pdf). Most of the citations are linked to the National Library of Medicine's PubMed page, on which the abstract appears. Of course, not all research in "the literature" is particularly good, but at least when something is defined as a "study," one should be able to look at its underlying data.

Mark R. Hammer
AIDS Institute, Bureau of Special Populations, New York State Department of Health