Amish America

Amish (comment) on drugs at the E-town Conference

"If we were not Amish, would there even be a story?"

That's one Amish person telling it like it is, regarding an infamous 1998 Lancaster Amish drug bust.

The comments were heard at the 'largest Amish conference ever' held through today at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.

The Lancaster New Era reports that topics covered have ranged from the controversial (Witness, Amish in the City) to the practical and academic (farm safety, Amish roots).

On the nearly decade-old drug incident, an Ohio man made a point that often gets missed:  "We're human like everyone else and this won't be the last time we do anything wrong," he said. "What we need is your compassion and understanding in situations like that."

The Amish and drugs, continued

The Amish and drugs--it's another one of those things that grab our attention because it seems so odd, so out-of-place.  Recall the media reaction to two young Amish men busted for dealing coke among Lancaster Amish gangs in 1998. 

But following up yesterday's post, it's worth remembering that 'heavy',  as the Lagrange meth problem was described, may be relative. 

Meth has clearly been a big problem in places like Oregon, where over 50% of children in orphanages are there because their parents are meth addicts, or in inner-city Sydney. 

Meth users in the US.  Darkness indicates severity.  Find an interactive version of this map at pbs/frontline.

When 'real world' ails hit the Amish, a little can seem like a lot.  In this case, 'heavy' may mean a handful of cases. 

But that's speculation.   It's based on the idea that what we consider mild, often strikes the Amish as over-the-top--i.e. knee-length skirts, Seinfeld, lyrics to pop songs.

Anyone with further insight on drugs within the Amish, your comments are invited.

The Amish and Meth?

It started in the 60's, gained momentum in the 80's and is now being called a full-blown epidemic. 

As America's 'most dangerous drug' has surged through the country, the West and Midwest have been especially hard-hit.

But has it even invaded the Amish?

In this Toledo WNWO story, an Amish informant talks about the 'heavy' meth problem in his large northern Indiana community.