VOA标准英语2010年-Meth Still Grips, But Doesn't Strangle

Raw anti-drug campaign awakens¹ state

Ted² Landphair | Missoula, Montana 04 February 2010

 
Photo: Montana Meth Project
Adults across Montana were frightened by what they were seeing. Some hardly recognized their meth-addled teenagers.

Related Links
Montana Meth Project

"The thing I'm most ashamed about is shooting up my girlfriend [with needles full of meth] so I could have all control. I pawned³ her off on the drug dealers⁴. I said, 'Come on, baby, we need to get high.'"

In 2005, one in seven teenagers in the sparsely⁵ populated western state of Montana admitted to using the seductive and highly addictive⁶ street drug, methamphetamine. One in three said they saw no danger at all in smoking, injecting or snorting meth. Today, thanks to a shocking statewide campaign against meth, that's no longer the case.

In one television ad, Montanans heard a teenage girl describe her experience with meth. "When I was on meth, I swear there were, like, little crawling things in my skin." she said. "It was so real, and I, like, cut my skin open. There was nothing there. Just blood gushing⁷ out. It was really scary."

Authorities had never seen anything like it. Young Montanans of all races - rich and poor - were seeking the jolting⁸ euphoria of a chemical brew⁹ cooked from bizarre ingredients like cold medicine, drain cleaners and the ammonium nitrate fertilizer found on farm fields all over what's called Big Sky Country.

 

Montana Meth Project
Methamphetamine is the fastest-acting addictive agent ever known, overwhelming the brain's emotional sensors¹⁰, producing powerful feelings, pleasure, euphoria.

 One girl, Josie, lived in Billings, near those fields. "I am in prison right now," she said on statewide television. "My entire adolescent childhood was involved in criminal behavior and doing meth and in and out of psychiatric hospitals."

People also heard from Matthew, age 20, from Kalispell, a resort town near the majestic¹¹ mountains of Glacier¹² National Park."The thing I'm most ashamed about is shooting up my girlfriend [with needles full of meth] so I could have all control," Matthew said. "I pawned her off on the drug dealers. I said, 'Come on, baby, we need to get high.'"

Doctors soon discovered that methamphetamine is the fastest-acting addictive agent ever known. At first, meth overwhelms the brain's emotional sensors, producing powerful feelings: pleasure, euphoria. 

Just ask Marcy Brakefield. "I didn't have to eat, I didn't have to sleep," she remembers. "I could just kind of party. It made me more wired and just happy and free and powerful and all sorts of good, good things."  The fear, paranoia¹³, uncontrollable trembling and violent anger that seize most meth addicts¹⁴ would follow soon enough. 

Marcy had been a happy, athletic¹⁵ teenager in a loving home. But when her older brother went off to college and she shifted to a new and bigger high school, she got, as she puts it, really bored. She started hanging with a girlfriend who was into meth. Soon Marcy was lying to her parents and stealing from them and storekeepers to support her own meth habit.

 

Montana Meth Project
In 2005, one in seven teenagers in the sparsely populated western state of Montana admitted to using methamphetamine.

 

"I've heard people say that the first time they used it was the best time ever," she says. "And I know for me, once I got a taste of how good it made me feel, I wanted more."
   
As meth use was exploding across Montana, Bill Slaughter¹⁶ was director of the state's prison system, whose inmate¹⁷ population doubled, seemingly overnight. Montana has abundant wilderness¹⁸ in which to hide meth labs, he points out, and it's a favorite turf of motorcycle gangs known to transport the drug. In Slaughter's words, Montana had become the nation's petri dish for methamphetamine use. 

To its horror, Montana suddenly ranked fifth in reported meth abuse.  A Rand Corporation study estimated that meth was costing the state $300 million a year. That's lost wages, cost of law enforcement, that's incarceration¹⁹, that's taking kids out of their homes for foster care, loss of work, Bill Slaughter says.

Meth touched Slaughter's own family. His son, a rookie police officer in Great Falls, shot and killed a suspect, high on meth, who had barely missed with a shot of his own. As the elder Slaughter puts it, "Everybody in Montana has a meth story; about their uncle or their son like mine, a friend.  Everybody has a meth story."

 

MethProject.org
Tom Siebel's foundation had already supported causes such as homelessness when he and his wife faced off against meth.

Could the meth epidemic²⁰ be thwarted²¹? Through their family foundation, wealthy Montana rancher and software executive Tom Siebel and his wife, Stacey, decided²² to try.  They founded and funded - with more than $2 million over five years - the Montana Meth Project, of which Bill Slaughter is now executive director.

"We purchased more media in Montana than any other single entity," he says. "More billboards²³, more radio, more television. Tom actually understood something that the rest of us didn't, that the power of the media with kids is amazing. But you can't have authority figures [telling the story] because it turns them off. It has to be a peer-to-peer campaign - a raw, gritty, right-in-your-face campaign because, in fact, that's how kids communicate with each other."

 

Montana Meth Project
Young people's own anti-meth messages popped up in unexpected places all across Montana during the Paint the State campaign.

Everywhere they went, Montanans came face to face with stark²⁴ pictures and heard sad, frightening - and true - stories of tweakers, as meth abusers are called. Is it OK to try meth? the messages asked. Not even once.

The Montana Meth Project brought immediate²⁵ and gratifying results. In something called the Paint the State campaign, teenagers in 56 Montana counties created and posted almost 700 anti-meth works of art on fenceposts, building walls, even the doors of restroom stalls. 

And last year, carrying petitions with 55-thousand signatures, 2,300 Montana teens converged²⁶ on the statehouse in Helena in what they called a March on Meth. They beseeched the governor and legislators to kick in funds to the Montana Meth Project.

One of the marchers was Tim Seery, a Great Falls high-school sophomore²⁷.

"Today," he told the crowd on the capitol steps, "we have made the decision to march together as students from every corner of Montana, using our collective voice to speak out against methamphetamine."  

The legislature committed $1 million over two years, but that amount has since been cut in half by the budget crunch²⁸ brought on by the current economic downturn.

Still, reported meth use among Montana teens has dropped 63 percent since 2005, and the latest Rand Corporation estimate of meth's financial toll²⁹ on the state - $200 million - is a third lower than it was. Incarceration levels are way down, too. The Montana Women's Prison, crammed³⁰ with nearly 400 women five years ago, for instance, holds just 130 or so inmates³¹ today.

Carol M. Highsmith
Today, Marcy Brakefield is drug-free and often shares her story with Montana teenagers.

As for Marcy Brakefield, she was caught and arrested while smoking meth with her friend. "One of the hardest parts was just dealing³² with my own guilt³³." She says she let many people down. "I let myself down." 

Marcy avoided jail by entering a long-term treatment program. She ran into her friend again and relapsed briefly³⁴, but says she has since been clean for six years, two months and a few days. Now fully³⁵ employed, she is working toward a master's degree in addiction³⁶ counseling. 

Every chance she gets, she meets with Montana teens, reliving her stark story about the powerful temptation and ruinous toll of methamphetamine.   

 

1 awakens   

v.（使）醒( awaken的第三人称单数 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• The scene awakens reminiscences of my youth. 这景象唤起我年轻时的往事。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The child awakens early in the morning. 这个小孩早晨醒得早。 来自辞典例句

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 pawned   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He pawned his gold watch to pay the rent. 他抵当了金表用以交租。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

5 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

7 gushing   

adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话

参考例句：

• blood gushing from a wound 从伤口冒出的血
• The young mother was gushing over a baby. 那位年轻的母亲正喋喋不休地和婴儿说话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 jolting   

adj.令人震惊的

参考例句：

• 'she should be all right from the plane's jolting by now. “飞机震荡应该过了。
• This is perhaps the most jolting comment of all. 这恐怕是最令人震惊的评论。

9 brew   

v.酿造，调制

参考例句：

• Let's brew up some more tea.咱们沏些茶吧。
• The policeman dispelled the crowd lest they should brew trouble.警察驱散人群，因恐他们酿祸。

10 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

11 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

12 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

13 paranoia   

n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症

参考例句：

• Her passion for cleanliness borders on paranoia.她的洁癖近乎偏执。
• The push for reform is also motivated by political paranoia.竞选的改革运动也受到政治偏执狂症的推动。

14 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

15 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

16 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

17 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

18 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

19 incarceration   

n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭

参考例句：

• He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
• Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句

20 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

21 thwarted   

阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
• Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。

22 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

23 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

24 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

25 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

26 converged   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
• People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 sophomore   

n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的

参考例句：

• He is in his sophomore year.他在读二年级。
• I'm a college sophomore majoring in English.我是一名英语专业的大二学生。

28 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

29 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

30 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

31 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

33 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

34 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

35 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

36 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。