Police are concerned about a recent trend in methamphetamine that is targeting the younger crowd with an appealing new flavor and look.

The drug known as “Strawberry Quick” on the street, has surfaced in Nevada, Missouri and Arkansas and may be heading for the Hoosier state, Indiana State Police warn.

But this Strawberry Quick, unlike the flavored milk, can kill.

Police say meth makers added strawberry flavoring and red coloring to crystal meth to make the drug more appealing to younger children, Sgt. Noel Houze Jr. of the Connersville Post in southeastern Indiana reported.

Parents should warn their children against accepting candy from strangers and stress to them that strangers can include other children, he warned.

“We wanted to inform the public, especially parents of young kids,” Houze said. “They get tempted early enough in life as it is and it’s so addictive and dangerous.”

After reading several stories from other state news organizations out west, Houze decided to pass the information on to other state police posts, including the Peru Post.

“Locally, we haven’t seen any [Strawberry Quick], but local people we’ve talked to have heard about it and are concerned,” said Kokomo Police Sgt. Mark Miller of the Howard County Drug Task Force.

“Parents need to be informed,” he said. “They may think it’s some kind of flavored candy.”

Strawberry Quick made its first appearance in Nevada in January. The drug seems to be making its way east as it has been discovered within the last couple of months in Missouri and Arkansas, he said.

“At the end of March they were finding it in the plain states,” Houze said of his research. “It’s probably in Indiana, we just haven’t found any yet.”

The new coloring gives the drug the appearance similar to that of other popular children’s candy such as “Pop Rocks” and the strawberry flavoring takes the normally bitter taste out of the drug.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamine is a very addictive Schedule II stimulant drug that can be taken orally, it can be snorted, injected or smoked. Abusers can become addicted very quickly and need higher doses more often.

Even when used in small amounts, methamphetamine can result in increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure and hypothermia. Other effects of methamphetamine abuse may include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse and death. Long-term effects may include paranoia, aggressiveness, extreme anorexia, memory loss, visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and severe dental problems.

Mike Fletcher may be reached at (765) 454-8565 or via e-mail at mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com



Talk to your children about danger of meth:

Understand why

Almost always it’s rebellion, alienation, despair, peer pressure or some combination. As a parent, you can have a powerful effect on how your kids deal with these things. And whether they see drugs as an answer. One of the biggest deterrents is talking with your kids about drugs.

Take a stand

Perhaps the single biggest deterrent to drug use is talking with your kids about the subject — early, often and specifically. Don’t despair if it doesn’t seem to register. Weeks or months later you’ll very likely hear your words coming back to you.

Listen

One of the biggest deterrents to drug use is talking with your kids about the subject. But don’t do all the talking. Listen. Ask questions. Find out what they think. If you don’t listen to them they won’t talk to you, much less listen to you.

Set the rules

Kids need to know exactly what the rules are. The rules have to be clear, consistent, reasonable. And enforced. Every kid will try to find out exactly how far he or she can go. And drugs are no place for trial or error.

Start early

Just as surely as you need to teach your kids not to play in the road, you need to teach them about the dangers of drugs. They’ll very likely be exposed to drugs from kindergarten on. So say it early. Say it often. And match the message to your child’s age.

Educate yourself

It’s not a matter of learning the latest street talk. It’s a matter of learning why crack is so dangerous. Marijuana can often lead to hard drugs. Every illegal drug has the potential of causing catastrophic damage to your child.

Get involved

Perhaps the single biggest deterrent to drug abuse is communication — simply talking with your kids about drugs. That’s almost impossible unless you’ve built a foundation. By doing things with them. By getting involved with their school and their sports. By knowing their friends.

Don’t preach

One of the greatest deterrents to drug use is simply talking with your kids. But don’t preach or you’ll lose them. If a conversation lasts more than five minutes, you’re preaching. Better to have lots of five-minute conversations. Kids have short attention spans and shorter memories. To learn more about how to talk with your kids about drugs, call for a free parent’s handbook, 1-800-624-0100.

Source: Partnership for a Drug Free America



You can help:

Anyone with information concerning the manufacturing or sales of methamphetamine should contact the Kokomo Police Department Hotline at (765) 456-7017, the Indiana State Police Methamphetamine Tip Line at (800) 453-4756 or the Howard County Sheriff Department at (765) 456-2020. Callers can remain anonymous.