Methland

Fascinating interview with the author of a new book, Methland - Nick Reding on NPR's All Things Considered. His point is that meth is not just a drug problem, but an indication of larger issues, like the destruction of small town economic structure. Sounds like a Must Read:

[Meth] addiction encapsulates what has happened to many small towns in America. Reding says meth is a drug of the American working class, because it gives people "inordinate amounts of energy."

"You don't have to eat, sleep or drink water, so if you're somebody who works on a manufacturing line or does farm work or meatpacking work, for instance, it's a drug that can come in handy, in terms of helping you to work harder," Reding says.

Reding says that the agricultural industry has consolidated over time, and the working class has had to work harder for less — which has made meth more attractive.