Meth Free Project offers hope

Santa Rosa County Drug Prevention and Recovery will host the Meth Destroys: The High is a Lie, at the Christian Life Church on Avalon Boulevard on Thursday, October 2 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The program is an outreach project of The Meth Free Project with Leland Family Ministries.

With the recent Attorney General’s statewide alert about flavored methamphetamine that dealers target elementary school children with and following the large number of meth busts throughout Florida, there is an immense need for awareness programs to educate the public on the dangers of meth.

According to literature by the Meth Free Project, Meth (also known on the street as Speed, Crank, Chalk, Fire, Glass, Ice, Tweak, Uppers, Yaba, among other names) is a powerfully addictive and illegal stimulant.

It is also one of the most popular and easily obtained drugs and is used by professionals, housewives, kids in school, and many others.

People who use it can get hooked after their first try, and once a person is addicted it's extremely difficult to get off the drug.

Meth can cause serious health effects including increased respiration, hyperthermia, convulsions, insomnia, tremors, anxiety, paranoia, and addiction.

Use of the drug can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, resulting in strokes. Cardiovascular side effects include chest pain and hypertension and can result in cardiovascular collapse and death.

Small, portable meth labs can be easily moved and established in small spaces such as trailers, motel rooms, barns and basements.

The Meth Free Project is a licensed Florida substance abuse service provider, which raises awareness about the devastating consequences of using methamphetamine and provides support for those in recovery.

It is also the leading self-funded organization on the State’s Methamphetamine Task Force and recently received an Outstanding Service Award by the Florida Office of Drug Control.

For more information or directions to the event, contact Debra Morris at 850-316-6649, Leland Family Ministries at 863-533-1675, or visit www.methfreeproject.com.