MAPP-SD, a project of Prairie View Prevention Services, Inc., is a comprehensive Methamphetamine awareness and prevention project. 
MAPP-SD is dedicated to:
u   Increase awareness of Meth and the problems associated with its use, manufacture and distribution;
u Provide, at no cost, professional Meth awareness and prevention education to groups and organizations on a community, regional and statewide level;
u Be a no-cost, ongoing resource for South Dakota citizens to deal with issues rising from the manufacture, use and distribution of Meth.

Long story short - By Stephen D. Culbertson, Special to the Pioneer
An addict's tale
Meth addiction robs young father of time with two tots

        My name is Stephen and I am an addict. I grew up in a small town in the Black Hills. Through most of my schooling, I didn't feel accepted. I always wanted to be a part of the "in" crowd.
        I took my first drink during the summer between my eighth and ninth grade year. It was great! I suddenly found myself growing into popularity. My best friend and I were attending every party we heard about.  I started smoking pot soon after I started drinking. Why not? It was faster and a lot more fun. It brought me into a whole new category of friends. They were older and cooler than I was. I wanted to be like them. It wasn't long and I was one of them. I had finally reached my goal of acceptance.
        When I started smoking pot, it was only on occasion, but it steadily grew more regular. By my junior year I was coming to school high and skipping class to get high again when the buzz wore off. I thought it was cool.
        I did my first line of crank sometime during my senior year. Again, why not? I was already labeled as a "druggy." I remember how great it made me feel. I was on top of the world. Untouchable. I was addicted instantly. I would never turn down another drug in my life.
        By the time I graduated from high school, my family was well aware of my use of pot. It was then that my relationship with them began to fade. I "used" to cover my emotions. It worked. Now I didn't have to deal with real issues. I pushed everyone away who disagreed with me. I, and only I, knew what was best for me. Drugs.  I became very open about my use of pot. I was proud of it. I though it made me more creative, knowledgeable and artistic. Why stop? I was sure I never would. I never did.
        My use of crank was occasional, but I used every time it was available. It wasn't often, but that was soon to change too. I became a regular user by the time I was 23. When snorting it started to lose its effect, I began shooting up with Meth. The Devil himself.
        At this time I had an infant daughter. She was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Suddenly I had a reason, a purpose in life. I knew I had to quit. There was only one problem. I couldn't.  Alone it was impossible. I knew I had a problem.
        I'm not sure how often I tried to quit, or if I even did try. When I would come off the drug after several days of being on, it didn't seem like there was a problem. Just don't start up again. Yeah right! I would jump on the first opportunity I had to get a fix. I hated myself. I couldn't say "no." I wouldn't.
        Problems became bigger and more were piling up. Mostly over money. Money is a hard thing to come by when you're a junky. I became desperate. I needed a plan. I had put myself in a hole, and I would get myself out. I decided to rob a bar. It would take some planning, but I had the perfect fuel for thought. Meth.
        When you are on a drug like Meth, irrational thoughts become rational. Your mind becomes controlled by it. Your body is a slave to it. You'll do the craziest things on it.  Well, I did it. I robbed a bar that I was a regular at. My plan was perfect. There was only one thing that I didn't account for. I broke my leg jumping off the roof. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It would take surgery to fix it.
        In the four months of recovering from my injury, I never touched Meth. This would be the longest I had ever gone without it. Somehow my mind had cleared in that time. I realized what I had done and where the drug had brought me. That was enough for me.  Finally, robbing that bar to break my leg was the best thing for my addiction somehow. I haven't touched it since.
        Today I sit in a South Dakota State Penitentiary, sentenced to eight years. I'm 27 years old. I have 21 months to serve before my parole. My children wait for their father on the outside. I now have two, a little boy and a little girl. I love them so much. They and their mother have lost me to Meth.
        Meth's fury reaches far beyond the addict himself. All drugs do. It is the people you love the most that will suffer. I wish I knew then what I know now.
Sobriety.

                   Part One of the Series: Meth – Everyone’s Problem
                   Part Two of the Series: What is Meth?
                   Part Three of the Series: Long Story Short - An Addict's Tale
                   Part four of the series: Meth: A drug like no other

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