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# IowaWatch Connection: Breaking the Cycle of Meth Addiction in the Heartland
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/iowawatch-connection-breaking-the-cycle-of-meth-addiction-in-the-heartland/
- Published: 2014-11-17T16:04:49.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T02:39:03.000Z
- Description: The number of methamphetamine labs reported in Iowa has decreased, but increased meth use and the higher potency of the drug available to users means meth is still impacting Iowa communities and children. Kids raised in a home with a parent addicted to the drug face higher risks for neglect and a nu
- Author: Jeff Stein
- Tags: Criminal Justice, iowawatch, breaking the cycle, documentary, methamphetamine, substance abuse, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

The number of methamphetamine labs reported in Iowa has [decreased](http://www.iowa.gov/odcp/drug%5Fcontrol%5Fstrategy/2015StrategyFINAL.pdf?ref=investigatemidwest.org), but increased meth use and the higher potency of the drug available to users means meth is still impacting Iowa communities and children. Kids raised in a home with a parent addicted to the drug face higher risks for neglect and a number of health issues.

“I wasn’t a very kind mother, especially if I was waking up with a hangover. I think was really short and probably mean. I wasn’t really abusive, per se, I never hit her or anything like that, but I was not available, so I’m sure that did enough emotional damage,” said Lesa Rios, a recovering meth addict who has been free of the drug for over 12 years.

Based on an [IowaWatch documentary](https://investigatemidwest.org/breaking-the-cycle-meth-addiction-in-the-heartland/?ref=investigatemidwest.org) on the topic, recovering addicts, prosecutors, and care professionals discuss their efforts to address the problem of meth addiction in Iowa.