Meth Abuse and Teens 

 Tom Hedrick, Partnership for a Drug-Free America - "fewer than half of our teens view using meth as harmful.  We are not getting the message through."

 A survey released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America should scare most parents who feel confident their teens are living clean.  Most kids questioned are not afraid to try methamphetamines.

Tom Hedrick - "methamphetamine is a highly addictive and highly dangerous drug."

 In the early 90's, it was crack cocaine.  Today, meth-labs are springing-up across the country, like this lab that was
raided in southwest Detroit.  A smokeable-form of the drug, called "ice" or crystal meth, is even easier to cook-up.

Tom Hedrick - "one reason meth is so hard to control is that some abusers have learned to make it themselves.  they  combine three ingredients -- which we won't name here
-- from over-the-counter products like these.  Then they combine the ingredients with lye or battery acid for a quick, dangerous high."

Jim Kope, President of the  Non-prescription Drug Manufacturer's Association - "We have voluntarily reduced the quantity of products in our packaging, we've cut down the size to make it more difficult to divert, and we are using blister packs to make it more difficult also."

Jim Kope - "You've seen these before in child-resistant packaging and tamper-resistant packaging.  Now we have meth-resistant packaging."

Jim Kope - "We will do everything we can to head-off this problem."
 

 The partnership for a drug-free america will be launching an anti-meth campaign this month, including an internet game.  But parents are in the best position to turn-up the heat on "ice."

Tom Hedrick - "Parents, boomer parents, who coined the phrase 'speed kills' in the 60's and 70's do not understand that their own kids do not see meth as harmful, and are not having conversations with them early enough or often enough."
 

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