Meth: The Home-cooked Menace

A harrowing look at the personal, social, and environmental impact of America’s newest drug abuse trend.

Methamphetamine has been around for decades, but the recent surge in clandestine “cooking” labs in homes, hotel rooms, and even cars has made this toxic stimulant exceptionally affordable, accessible, and dangerous. With staggering facts and up-to-the-minute information, award-winning journalist Dirk Johnson has written the definitive book about America’s methamphetamine pandemic. Johnson examines the unprecedented physical, mental, social, and environmental destruction caused by meth use and meth production. He explains why this drug is so harmful, how it differs from other drugs, and how it has devastated individuals, families, and communities. While the facts are decidedly discouraging, Johnson describes successful national, state, and local efforts to fight meth production and prevent addiction, and shares hopeful stories from recovering meth addicts.

Award-winning journalist Dirk Johnson is the Chicago bureau chief and a senior writer for Newsweek. He wrote for the New York Times for 16 years, covering many of the major national news events of the past two decades, including the shootings at Columbine High School, the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, and various national political races. Johnson is a five-time winner of the New York Times Publisher's Award and the author of Biting the Dust: The Wild Ride and Dark Romance of the Rodeo. He lives in Sycamore, Illinois.