Dear FRONTLINE,

The diabolical potency of Meth scares me. The fact that it has limited presence in large Eastern cities scares me. The fact that the drug companies make three billion (with a B) off this scares me. Yes, fear does work. Now that crack is apparently under control and crime is down here in New York City, why are we opening the door for another scourge? We can plot meteorological storms, and act accordingly. We better do the same with this one. Shut it down at the source. Problem solved. (Oh, and, by the way, lots of rest, a humidifier, and tissues work wonders for head colds.) ps -- Why didn't the producers highlight 'Meth Teeth' -- for sheer gross out factor, I would have thought this would have been powerful. Or are rural dentists as into this preventable epidemic as the big OTC drug companies?

Ken Krimstein
new york, new york

FRONTLINE's editors respond:

Information on "Meth Mouth" is on this site in the section, "How Meth Destroys the Body."

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am from Franklin County Missouri, not long ago considered the meth capital of the world. My best friend commited suicide after murdering his parents due to meth and prescription drug abuse. I can tell you without a doubt what drives the meth epidemic here.

In the early 80's I used to order caffeine pills to stay awake and be effective while working 3rd shift in a factory. Co-workers noticed my superior perfomance and asked how I was able to function so well. Soon I was ordering large amounts of my "little helpers" to resell to co-workers and friends. What drives such addictions as meth is a strong work ethic. I would not be surprised at all to learn that for every one of those 70 people in my state who seek treatment for meth addiction there are 20 more who haven't. In my case I asked law enforcement if what I was doing was legal. I was told at the time it was but they took a dim view of it so to avoid problems I stopped procurement altogether. A strong work ethic also drives up injuries which in turn drives up use of pain medications. I have an injury that requires pain meds. My wife has moderate asthma: a legitimate use and need for ephedrine. In a county with over 200 DEA agents, we live in constant fear of having our door broke down, and law enforcement going under our sink and finding some kind of cleaning chemical, then up in our cabinets and getting our pyrex plates, then out to our shed and getting antifreeze or starting fluid for our car, putting it all together and calling it "intent" to manufacture meth, just so we'll have to send a lawyer to the Bahamas.

Rob Arnold
Union, Missouri

Dear FRONTLINE,

The PBS program on crystal-meth was an excellent introduction to the terrible current crystal-meth epidemic. However, the attempt to control pseudoephedrine sales in KY and other States, by requiring one to stand in long lines at the drug counter to buy a 28-days-worth supply of decongestant for those of us who suffer from chronic sinusitis, has resulted in an even worse epidemic of crystal-meth that is being smuggled in from Mexico, and the replacement of do-it-yourself meth-cookers with professional drug dealers -- a far more difficult and dangerous group to deal with than the amateur meth-cookers. An example of the "Law of Unintended Consequences" -- is it not? This aspect of the meth problem was not adequately discussed in this otherwise excellent PBS presentation and needs to be understood. We are now faced with the even-worse problem of dealing with dangerous professional drug dealers, versus the stupid meth-cooker amateurs who were easier to apprehend than the professional drug dealers.

I have nothing against waiting in line if it is an effective way to stop this terrible epidemic -- however it seems to have simply resulted in a even worse problem than the one we had before this legislative attempt to fix the problem!

J Dennis Bender
Covington, KY

Dear FRONTLINE,

I believe that the U.S. needs to focus more on prevention of the abuse of Meth. As well as attention to those who are addicted. People need help, life is hard for some and the drugs are an easy way out, we should be more for the people in the U.S. instead of who's got the must oil. It's a shame, but the it is a two way street, we can only help those who want and prevent it in those who are listening. It's here and here to stay, so let's do something.

Platsburgh, New York

Dear FRONTLINE,

The pharmaceutical executive's (Steven Robins) glib response to explain his industry's opposition to laws designed to stem the supply of pseudophedrine to meth cooks, only served to highlight the complicity of the pharmaceutical industry in their role in the meth epidemic. They are no less complicit in the meth epidemic than the coca leaf growers are in the crack epidemic. As Mr Robins' contradictory comments attest, their motive is money, not relieving runny noses.

Michael Wheeler
Raleigh, NC

Dear FRONTLINE,

At one time I may have felt that those who make a concious decision to experiment with drugs have only themselves to blame for the unfortunate outcome. Public education on the dangers of substance abuse is fairly extensive. The children of meth addicts however are truly the innocent victims and I can't help but wonder how many horror stories similar to those shown on this program are happening right now. This episode of Frontline has caused me to re-think my attitude toward addiction [and] its victims

Allan Michael
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Dear FRONTLINE,

Tonight's broadcast did little more than provide an hour-long infomercial for the DEA, in specific, and the law-enforcement approach to drug use, in general. Byker swallowed whole DEA agent Haislip's notion that quaaludes were succesfully eliminated. In fact, they are now widely available under a new name: Rohypnol. Yes, Rohypnol (street name: roofie) is a "legal," drug, distributed via pharmacies and only by prescription, but that doesn't seem to prevent it from being ubiquitous on the streets of America. This brings up a wider point, a point which Byker ignored: the more you tighten up the supply of a street drug, the higher you push the price, and consequent profits. Increased profits simply force the dealers (operators of the so-called "super labs") to display more initiative and creativity in maintaining their wholesale supplies of raw materials. Frontline might have better served viewers by looking into the root of the meth "epidemic," and all other drug use. Are most of the meth users people who enjoyed high-quality public education? Do they have good jobs? Do they have any jobs at all? How many middle class professionals turn to meth use? Byker might have devoted a few minutes of this episode to exploring the source of the demand for methamphetamines. In the final analysis, it's demand that drives meth use. Whether or not an Indian pharmaceutical manufacturer does a complete background check on every single one of their overseas customers has nothing to do with that.

Iver Rose
New York, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

Throughout the program much is made of the relationship between purity of the drug and its addictive properties. The graph showing the trends in this relationship was show repeatedly but the units and scale on the vertical axis were never given. How large are the fluctuations? How is purity measured? These questions were never addressed and the possibility of statistical manipulation has now been opened.

Also, the program indicated that purity varied nationwide with relative uniformity but the website contradicts this. It states that purity and price are directly related, and says that prices (and therefore purity) vary widely across the country. The contradiction undermines the main argument that Frontline uses to describe the trends in the meth epidemic.

The producers of Frontline should exercise increased vigilance when addressing an issue that is as important as meth addiction especially when they are raising critical questions regarding the administration's policies on how to control it. By leaving these questions open they are presenting their willing forheads to their critics to stamp them with the hackneyed but ever so effective "liberal media" label.

athens, ga

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a practicing physician in Missouri, a state with a horrendous rural drug problem I have to add that I believe that pseudoephedrine is an overmarketed overhyped relatively useless remedy for the common cold. People coped with colds for millenia before the big pharmaceutical interests kept relentlessly jamming this product at our faces on thousands of commercial advertisements. Everyone now expects instant relief due to our media-driven desires to avoid all pain and physical discomfort

I believe the time has come to discontinue production of this hazardous substance which possesses such a catastrophic risk for our society. We should learn again to cope with the pitfalls and limited illnesses of every day life without reaching for the medicine bottle.

Discontinuing global production of pseudoepinephrine would make a huge dent in the production of methylamphetamine from all sources...

Douglas Brockman
Springfield, MO

Dear FRONTLINE,

Something has to be done about the ingredients that are used for meth. The cooks will find new ways of making it but, it might be easier to track whatever they resort to. No it does not surprise me that it is an epidemic. I have been abstinent from drug use for twelve years. The lasting damage of my use has been hard on me and my family. I gave up one child and disappeared into the drug world. I have a lot of mental and emotional disorders due to the using of meth. It stole my soul. I will never be the person I was before I began to use it. It is unreal what it does to a person. In Fort Smith and surrounding areas if meth can't be found the user goes to crack, ice or cocaine. They all look for the same type of drug. Look at the pharmaceutical companies they wait a while and manufacture these drugs under different names. That is where the solution to addiction being stopped lies. The pharmaceutical regulations but the almighty dollar is placed so high above human lives. Addiction is a multibillion dollar industry. It is one big circle jerk. The pharmaceutical companies, the doctors, the psychiatrists, treatment centers, hospitals, so many profit from this plague of addiction.No one wants to look at it.Using methadone to control and maintain it is profitable as well. Greed it is killing so many generations through the drug industry.

Tina Furr
Fort Smith, Arkansas

Dear FRONTLINE,

Putting pseudoephedrine behind the counter is a completely ridiculous, useless, and in some respects even a dangerous idea.

1) As an extremely overworked pharmacist, I caan tell you that it doesn't take someone with 7 years university education to tell when someone is buying more than 1 box of tablets. Front store staff can be trained to do this, and store policies can be posted. Having a pharmacist get involved with everyone who has a cold takes their time away from filling prescriptions, and the repeated distractions can easily lead to errors. Our time should be spent talking to people about their medications.

2) Besides being a pharmacist, I also work extensively with substance users. Decreasing supply TOTALLY misses the point of substance abuse problems (but this doesn't surprise me on the totally ineffectual US "war on drugs" - clearly that is working well, isn't it??). Enforcement is only one very, very small component to solving some of the problems. Recognizing and treating mental health problems properly (and funding these), decreasing poverty and domestic violence, and here's an idea - help kids with self esteem and give them a future?!?

3) Can't believe I'm agreeing with anyone involved with the government, but it is true that diverting so many resources to combatting meth completely ignores crack, heroin, prescription drug abuse (Oxycontin, Vicodin and Valium, anyone??).

4) Um, and by the way, there are ways to make crystal meth WITHOUT ephedrine and pseudophedrine, geniuses.

Toronto, Ontario

Dear FRONTLINE,

Fear, not education, has been proven to not work. Prohibition has been proved to do nothing but waste money and wave a red flag to possible users who have the feel they can't trust big brother's advice. Frontline is going downhill which is a sorrow.

Michael Bagdes
Atlanta, Ga.