Meth having large impact on D.C. area
Methamphetamine use has had a large impact on parts of the Midwest, and now the drug is beginning to take its toll on the D.C. area.
Also known as crystal meth, crank and ice, methamphetamine locks users in an addictive grip that some say is the most powerful of any drug, according to NBC4.com.
In Anne Arundel County, two labs have been busted in just the past two months.
Prince William County police have uncovered two labs since 2003, including one in a Super 8 motel in Manassas, Va. where three men had set up shop.
In November 2004, the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors and the National Coalition of STD Directors issued a report that found methamphetamine use was on the rise among men who have sex with men. The effects of the drug often lead to feelings of elation and invulnerability, which can result in unsafe sex practices and increase the chance for HIV transmission.
"I see individuals who are primarily gay, white men in high-paying jobs who use the drug to engage in sexual behaviors," said Amy Bullock-Smith, a drug treatment counselor at Whitman-Walker Clinic, which offers testing, counseling and support services to the gay and lesbian community in Washington, D.C.
Bigger winter storm is yet to come
As the season's first snowfall began to melt yesterday, meteorologists warned that the Washington region could see another winter storm before the weekend, according to www.washingtonpost.com.
Although it is too early to know, there is a chance that snow will blanket the area again late Thursday and into Friday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Guyer said.
"We weren't taken by surprise," he said, even though Washington weather is notoriously difficult to predict. "We tend to be on the edge of cold air a lot of the time, and so we have the challenge of predicting snow, sleet, rain or freezing rain or a combination of all those."
The storm late Monday is being blamed for the death of a five-year-old boy who was hit by a car as he rode a sled in Charles County.
- KATE OCZYPOK
