The methamphetamine problem in Iowa is ever increasing. I would like to thank the Des Moines Register for trying to expose this problem that plagues our state via its excellent job in reporting on it throughout the last week. Unfortunately, like many other things, a problem like this cannot be taken seriously until it is experienced personally.

During Thanksgiving break, I tried to purchase a can of starter fluid from an auto parts store in my hometown. When I asked where it was in the store, I was told it is kept behind the counter.

In fact, it’s store policy in that town to have each person who purchases any amount of starter fluid fill out a form which includes personal information.

At the auto parts store I work at here in Ames, license plate numbers are to be reported to the police if a large quantity is purchased.

Why, you might ask? Starter fluid is used to make methamphetamine.

While I have never and will never use this despicable substance, I have witnessed its destructive nature first-hand.

My first contact with people who use crank was back in my early high school days. A few adult co-workers admitted to me they were users.

One of these people actually died as a result of the drug leaving several children behind.

The ultimate consequence of using this drug is, of course, death. However, death might seem to be an acceptable alternative to a life addicted to meth.

Many of its users will stay up for days binging on the drug. For some users, the only break from it comes from time in jail.

One of the people I know who cooks crank has been in and out of jail many times before. I was actually present one time after he had been out in a field making the illicit substance.

Another friend of mine was the first person to try the new batch. He rolled up a dollar bill and snorted a line of it. After a few seconds, he declared that it was bunk. The tension built in the room as many people who were counting on the euphoric high were becoming angry at the disappointing news.

Everyone knows what it feels like to be excited about something and then be disappointed because something falls through. This was quite different, though — these people’s desperation for a high was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

I watched as many people snorted it or smoked it, trying to get high by any means necessary. I was seeing people at their worst, and it was disturbing.

The solutions being proposed to combat the rising use of meth are a good start, but making the ingredients harder to come by will not solve the actual problem.

Educating people in the right manner about the lifestyle led by a meth addict is the key to stopping its abuse.

Of the commercials I’ve seen on TV about drugs, anti-marijuana ads are by far the most commonly occurring. People unfamiliar with the drug scene are bombarded by images of pot smokers shooting their friends, getting raped, committing vehicular homicide, etc.

Considering that around half of high school students will try marijuana before graduating, maybe it’s time to invest in commercials that don’t lie to the public.

What happens when people try pot and find out it isn’t the incredibly terrible substance it is made out to be? Will people then be more likely to try other addictive substances, thinking they aren’t as bad as society says they are?

To make a good argument, concessions must be made. Let’s realize what the real enemies to our citizens are. Our efforts should be put in full force to the truly harmful drugs, nicotine included.

I’ve seen friends become dependent on things ranging from cigarettes to cocaine to meth. I’ve considered all of these individuals to be great people. Unfortunately, their favorable status as friends is often overshadowed by their addictions.

I encourage anyone who knows people like these to remain a close and supportive friend to them and encourage them to seek help. Unfortunately, there have been many times in the past I have sat idly by and watched people waste their lives.

In a way, isolating ourselves from their world of drugs condemns these people to a destructive cycle of addiction.

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is using drugs and you’d like to get help, take the first step and contact Student Counseling Services at 294-5056.