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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 24, 2005 Brian Kortum ended up in a holding cell at the sobering center in Medford after police found him in a meth-induced psychotic state. The center, a waypoint for people trying to sober up in a safe place, is seeing more and more meth users. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Meth addicts fill up ‘detox’ Combination of drugs and alcohol can make caring for clients tricky By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune No longer a refuge solely for drunks, the county’s sobering center is seeing more and more methamphetamine addicts at its doors. The number of clients who admit to using meth upon entering the center — also known as "detox" — has doubled in past months. The center, situated at Medford’s Third and Front streets, took in 16 meth addicts last month compared with eight in April. June has so far seen 17 clients high on the illegal stimulant. A recovering addict, Brian Kortum was transferred to the sobering center about a year ago in the grip of a meth-induced psychosis. After Kortum had used meth off and on for 19 years — injecting the drug daily for the last four — any amount would push him into a psychotic state, he said. Hearing voices, Kortum tried to draw the blood out of his body to "cool off his brain." Police found him at Medford’s Greyhound bus station with a pile of bloody syringes, he said. Officers took him to Rogue Valley Medical Center, but he wound up in detox. "They couldn’t do anything for me, so they brought me here," the Medford resident said. Advertisement Now clean for six months, Kortum, 36, lives in the sobering center’s transitional housing for men. But he sees — and hears — plenty of meth addicts as bad off as he once was in their cells on the other side of the building. They’re dehydrated, malnourished and sleep-deprived. They bang on doors all night and never stop talking, he said. "Usually, they can’t fall asleep." Addicts stay between eight and 18 hours while the staff monitors their vital signs. They get water, soup, clean clothes and a place to sleep until they’re coherent enough to leave. Clients also may undergo a mental health evaluation and are offered treatment services. While clients increasingly are high on meth, the sobering center remains a hub for those under the influence of alcohol. Between 150 and 200 alcoholic clients enter the center each month, most brought in by Medford police. However, many more detox clients probably have used meth but don’t admit to it for fear of being arrested, said alcohol and drug counselor Allan Wattenberg. The combination of drugs and alcohol that some clients’ consume can make caring for them tricky, Wattenberg said. Seventeen drunken people have entered detox this month while also under the influence of at least one other illegal drug, statistics show. "The drinking doesn’t mean they’re doing less meth," said Pat Murphey, sobering technician. Providing better care and treatment options prompted the sobering center to keep more detailed client statistics when Addictions Recovery Center took over operations from the county late last year, said Kim Oveson, ARC deputy director. For about $300,000, ARC subcontracts with the county, providing both 24-hour detox services and temporary housing for 12 male addicts in recovery. The center is named for William H. Moore, a Medford councilman who died in 2004 and was known as a tireless advocate for sobriety services. He was a founding board member of ARC. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement