DEATH * BY * METH

This is dedicated to Travis Holappa who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered on July 25, 2004 in Northern Minnesota. This was all due to meth. I am Travis' mother and I wish to make this devastation turn into a better thing by educating and exposing the truth about meth, the dangers, and the deadly consequences it brings about to individuals and communities.

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Location: Colorado, United States

I want to do what I can to educate people about what is going on around the world with the meth problem. I want people to know about it BEFORE they even get the idea to want to try it. It is a dangerous drug and will ruin your life as well as all those who love you. I am on a mission on behalf of my only son, Travis.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

High School Student Develops Project to Test for Meth (Arkansas)

Reporter: Michelle Rupp Posted By: Amanda Manatt
Hot Springs - A winning science fair project could change the way homes are tested for meth production -- possibly making the job for law enforcement officers easier. A senior at the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences and the Arts has come up with a formula that has some at the crime lab excited about it's possibilities.

The Control Substance Lab was busy Tuesday as chemists and forensic scientists are busy testing anything from meth to pot. A new experiment, however, could indicate methamphetamine almost immediately at the scene.

(Jenni Perry, Forensic Chemist) "With her test you wipe it against the surface and there's a color change you see."

The experiment is being developed by a senior high school student, Jennifer Wu, who is working with the crime lab to further develop the project.

(Jennifer Wu, senior) "We'd like to test an actual meth production facility."

Forensic chemist, Jenni Perry, says this could be a vital tool for police around the state.

(Perry) "If it's a situation law enforcement agents can come out, narcotics officers can come out to determine if they need further assistance we can respond or they can take samples."

Perry says in 2003 and 2004 approximately 1,200 meth labs were seized and submitted to the crime lab. That number was nearly cut in half for 2005, primarily because legislation made it difficult to purchase meth ingredients.

(Perry) "It’s absolutely wonderful to see interest in forensics and to have a project like this that could really impact the community."

There is still plenty of testing to be completed. The new technology won't likely be available for several years. Wu won the regional science fair competition with her project.

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0306/314006.html

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kim, what are you hoping to accomplish by posting peoples names, charges, and city/state of people who are convicted of meth related crimes. Hoping to embarrass them more or to publically out their problem with addiction to a drug? I just don't see the good that does.Maybe you feel that the people you name on your site are all murderous, bad people like the ones who killed your son. The thing is-that just isn't true. Compassion and understanding are needed much more when it comes to dealing with the whole meth problem-not punishment, and embarrassment.

Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:53:00 AM  
Blogger Kim said...

Dear Anonymous.
I am posting stories that are already posted elsewhere on the internet in addition to newspapers and television. The only difference is that I am bringing them all together under one common topic. Meth.
I reason I do this is to show people just how HUGE this issue is.
Also, personally.. in my own opinion and from my own observations first hand... I don't see that people who are meth addicts even have a conscience anymore in order to feel embarrassment or shame.
According to Dr.s who have studied the brain, the first thing to be attacked in a meth addict is their judgement center. I am not saying they stay like that forever, but it does stay for a long time.
I have compassion and understanding for people who are addicted to this and any drug. But I won't walk around holding their hand and saying "Poor so and so, they are a mess because they CHOSE to do this to themselves".
I think our society is where it is because too many people have grown up this past 30 years feeling that the world owes them something and people owe them something and life was so tough for them. They don't take responsibility for their own actions.
Those are my thoughts.

Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:31:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The statement that you made about meth addicts not having a conscience anymore is ridiculous. I am a recovering addict and I have friends who are users or are recovering and we all take offense to this remark!! What a load of crap. This site only fuels the nations ignorance and hate for meth and it's addicts. You say you care but you don't. What your looking for is vengence and it's not gonna help you.

Thursday, April 06, 2006 12:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi mommy~ i thought what you said to that guy was awsome, and i just wanted you to get a good blog...:> i love you mom, and am very happy you are doing all of this. you are a very strong and awsome woman... see you soon.
April rosie posie

Wednesday, April 12, 2006 8:11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't see it as vengence. I see it as awareness. Meth addicts DO lose alot of their conscience. If not, they wouldn't be able to starve their kids or break their parent's hearts all in the name of getting high and continue to do so. They rationalize that it's okay, or at least not as bad as it could be. To me, that is a lack of conscience. Meth steals your soul.

Yes, I think they can experience emabarassment and shame, but not to the extent that they should. Maybe when they experience it enough, they will decide to quit.

Recovering Addict, 3 years clean

Saturday, May 20, 2006 4:36:00 PM  
Blogger pebbles said...

I think that this site is helping to bring awareness to METH, but I have to disagree with addicts not having a conscience and they do have feelings
of embarrassment and shame-in fact that is why they continue to use.You said according to Dr's who study the brain-what dr's-can you quote one-because
yes the judgement goes first, but hey in most teenagers their judgement is lacking also-because their frontal lobe hasn't fully developed yet-so do you think teenagers can feel no shame or embarrassment. If you have compassion-then maybe you'd have stories of Meth users who have recovered and are living a productive life. It is possible to recover and one does not need to have someone walking around with them holding their hand and saying POOR SO AND SO-what we need is education. Addiction is a disease and once an addict picks up-any addict including Meth-their brain changes and they cannot stop without help. If you really want to help then you'll help support legslation that puts drug offenders and users in treatment centers rather than in jail-so they can learn to be a productive member of society and not continue to hone their skills as a criminal in the prison system. Educate yourself about addiction and maybe if you worked the 12 steps like sober addicts do, you could find forgiveness in your heart rather than blaming the addict themselves. Addicts need to find recovery or they find jails, institutions or death. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be held responsible-because they should, but know this addicts continue to feel shame, guilt, embarrassment and many other feelings on a daily basis that is why they continue to use. If they had more options for recovery-more might attempt to get clean and sober.From a
recovering addict and alcoholic-with a Bachelor's in addiction studies and 9 years of sobriety

Friday, May 16, 2008 8:25:00 PM  
Blogger Snow said...

I agree with the last comment whole heartedly. I have been sober for three years now and addicts DO have a conscience. If I hadn't have felt embarrassment or shame I wouldn't have quit. I also agree that this site should be here to HELP those who DO have an addiction. No you don't have to hold their hand and say, 'poor you', but they do deserve to be helped. I admit, I did have a rough life, but whether or not that caused me to start meth is not the point. I started due to peer pressure at a young age and continued to do it for several years. I didn't have anyone to help me. I didn't have anyone to tell me what the drug was doing to me because I was too blind to see. Yes meth affects your judgement, but just because it does, doesn't mean you are totally oblivious to your surroundings or the people you are around. If I had someone who cared enough to do an intervention I know I wouldn't have been on it for as long as I was. Addicts need help not a finger pointed at them! And I will tell you this, I went to jail four times in one year for the drugs and it NEVER DID ANY GOOD! I would get out and go right back to doing it. If I had been sent somewhere to get help I would have started being sober A LOT SOONER! I can't say that with high confidence. Also, I'm not sure those who don't do drugs are aware, ADDICTS DO METH IN JAIL!! My cell mate was a diabetic and would steal her needles to shoot up what drugs were snuck into jail. Jail does NO GOOD for an addict, I can say that because I know first hand. Jail didn't do anything but make me worse at the time. So yes, I agree with the others. Embarrassing an addict is NOT the way to help them. Honestly, I don't see how you can help them to begin with, seeing as how you WEREN'T AN ADDICT. If you truly want to do a "good deed" you should find others like me who HAVE QUIT, to help the others who say they can't. In my experience, I know that by you posting some of the things you are, you aren't educating the people who need to quit, enough to do so. How do you expect offenders to clean themselves up if you are embarrassing them? Which is the very point these people were trying to make. Educating offenders on how the drug wears down the body and mind is one way to kick them out of it. It took me looking down at my arms and seeing all the blown out veins to kick the addiction. I feel if you want to help you should provide former addicts to tell their stories or get some visuals of meth abuse

Just like I said before, I am starting motivational speaking and if anyone actually comes along this site who needs HELP, my email is...loveforzoey@gmail.com. I would be MORE THAN happy to help those who need it.

Tera from oklahoma

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:49:00 PM  

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