Meth Addicts

“David Parnell used to drink meth, his drug of choice, dissolved in orange juice as he drove down the road. He also took meth with his coffee or ate it, wrapped in toilet paper. "I don't want the pictures to send someone into craving," he said. Parnell shot himself in the face with an assault rifle in 2003. The police who took the crime scene photos initially assumed he would probably die. The blast of the gun blew off the tip of his tongue, split it in two and broke most of the bones in his face. He went through bone and skin grafts and now has metal plates and more than 30 screws in his face. It was his second suicide attempt. Parnell had tried to hang himself after a voice told him his wife and children would be better off if he were dead, but the rope broke. After the shooting, Parnell's father, who had introduced him to marijuana at age 13, never called him. Nor did Parnell call his father, who has since died. These days Parnell travels to prisons and schools, sharing his story. He gardens and started a nonprofit organization, Facing the Dragon. He and his wife, Amy, have seven children. Parnell learned she was pregnant with their youngest after he was hospitalized for the attempted suicide injuries. Suicide is never the answer, he told the crowd, because you never know what's around the corner. "If I had died, I wouldn't have gotten to meet my last son," Parnell said.”(news-leader.com) Methamphetamine is a very addictive drug. The spread of its production and abuse has started an abundance of research on the health effects and ways of treating the people who become addicted to it. Until recently it was believed to only be a regional problem. But recently, it has swept into rural Midwestern communities, crowding hospitals and treatment centers that were not prepared for the effects that is has on the addict’s bodies. Methamphetamine is a very powerful stimulant. It boosts the user’s heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and body temperature. Some users