‘Methland’ exposes Iowa meth problem

In Oelwein, Iowa, just 50 miles from Decorah, a tragic and unique story has stepped into the national spotlight through Nick Reding’s “Methland.” Three of the book’s featured figures appeared at Luther Oct. 22 to share how their collaboration is combating the disastrous effects of methamphetamine on their community.

Oelwein Mayor Larry Murphy, assistant Fayette County prosecutor and Luther alumnus Nathan Lein (‘98) and Dr. Clay Hallberg spoke to students, staff and faculty as well as community members and officials. Decorah Chief of Police Tom Courtney attended the lecture along with members of “Moms off Meth” and area healthcare and social workers.

“Methland” tells the story of what the author calls “the all-American drug,” methamphetamine, and the effects it has on communities throughout the country. Oelwein is one of several towns examined in the book and is used as a prime example of rural meth infestation.

“Oelwein was looking at the grave,” Murphy said. “We knew that we were dying.”

Methamphetamine, more commonly known as meth, is an illegal drug that has infiltrated rural communities with easy availability, low cost and highly addictive effects.

The discussion began with a look at Oelwein’s economic demographics before and after meth infiltrated the town. In 1975, 14 percent of Oelwein’s enrolled students qualified for free or reduced lunch. In 2000, after a farming crisis and the shuffling of major local employers, 82 percent of the school’s kindergarten class qualified. Oelwein’s school district is the eighth poorest in the state.

This poor economic condition, according to the panel, is largely responsible for the meth problem. The economics and impact of meth on society intrigued Professor of Sociology Brett Johnson.

“The book and the lecture addressed the well-being of an entire community, Oelwein, not just individual meth users,” Johnson said. “All of the panelists talked about the link between declining economic opportunities in Oelwein and the growth of the meth problem.”

To combat the problem, Murphy knew he had to fix the economic structure of the community by collaborating with law enforcement, taxpayers and employers.

“How do you solve problems facing communities?” asked Murphy. “Work together.”

Murphy and other leaders in Oelwein set long-term community goals to combat the effects of meth on the town. They aimed to raise family income by $10,000 per year, recruit employers to Oelwein paying $15-25 per hour for labor, renovate the downtown area and create jobs attracting young people, and they succeeded.

The victories took much time, effort and money provided by the community. The improvements came at a cost of approximately $31 million, much of it coming from increased taxes on the city.

“People will support taxes if they know and support what it’s going to be used for,” Murphy said.

A wellness center and public library were built and a community college was established to equip locals with skills for high-paying jobs without having to leave Oelwein. About 400 jobs paying $15-25 an hour became available by recruiting employers to come to Oelwein.

Mona Nelson, professor of accounting and management and former Oelwein resident, attended the lecture.

“The outcomes of the community collaboration projects are evident when you visit Oelwein,” Nelson said. “ I admire the willingness of the community leaders and residents to work together and build a vision for improving the town.”

Lein shared the law enforcement perspective of the meth dilemma.

“We still have the addiction problem,” he said.

In June 2009, Lein cited 37 cases involving children in homes with substance abuse. Of those, 52 percent were meth-related.

Following the lecture, Lein explained other measures taken by law enforcement to deal with meth. Some have put forward an initiative to install an Oelwein drug court. Parents of chronically truant schoolchildren were arrested to ensure that children in meth homes attend school. The police continue using cooperative informants, who helped prevent four pounds of meth from entering Oelwein from Mexico last month.

Hallberg is the medical examiner for the city of Oelwein and a family practice doctor. He explained the physical effects of methamphetamine on the body and the reasons for it’s powerful addictiveness.

“[Meth addicts] remember their first [high] as the best experience of their life,” Hallberg said. “It will never go away. There’s no amount of hand-holding or 12-stepping you can do with these people.”

Lein and Hallberg agreed that prison cannot solve the meth problem because it does not foster recovery from meth addiction. Lein said it takes approximately five years to really recover from the devastating effects of meth addiction.

Despite the strides Murphy, Lein and Hallberg have made, the meth problem has no end in sight.

“I think that the problem is only going to increase unless we can do something about it,” said Grant Borden (‘11), a lecture attendee. “The public needs to be better informed on the negative consequences of meth.”

Nelson agreed.

“[The panelists] offered hope for addressing the problem, but I did not get the sense they think the meth problem can be totally resolved,” Nelson said.

In a review of the book for Amazon.com, Lein said, “Oelwein and I both found hope during the writing of this book in spite of the obstacles thrown up in our path, sometimes by the very government I represent on the front lines of this drug war.”

Despite some negative images of Oelwein in “Methland,” Murphy, Hallberg and Lein say it serves as an accurate representation of a problem faced by countless small towns.

Meth has proven that even the friendly Midwest is not immune to drug problems.

“Illegal drug abuse is so hidden in our society that many people, including myself as a sociologist, can easily forget to be aware of its prevalence and destructiveness,” Johnson said.