Methamphetamine is an insidious drug. One that is wreaking havoc on lives and public resources in the Fairmont area and elsewhere. County Attorney Terry Viesselman noted this week that his office is seeing a surge in meth-related complaints, including thefts from local merchants that even the veteran prosecutor describes as “bizarre.”

If meth use and the resulting crime were not bad enough, there is the human toll. Meth literally eats holes in people’s brains so that it may be impossible for them to recover, even if they seek treatment.

Meth’s evil history should come as no surprise. Its first widespread use was among all branches of the Nazi war machine during World War II. But even the Nazis considered meth’s side effects to be too dangerous to continue using it. This was a regime that would have done anything to win the war, yet it turned away from meth. That says a lot.

Those who may be inclined to give meth a try have to be given a message that they are making a colossal mistake. Once they take their first hit, it is too late. The addiction and damage have begun. Children, teens, young adults and everyone else needs reminders about the dangers of meth.

No problem in life will ever be solved through meth use, but worse problems will develop once a person becomes hooked on the drug. Meth is not an answer to anything; it is a key that opens a door into a living hell.

Civilization can take action to stem the tide of meth trafficking, and it can attempt to treat the addiction. But nothing can substitute for personal responsibility up front.