HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Substance abuse casts a dark shadow over far too many lives, and law enforcement officers continue the battle to combat the epidemic from a legal standpoint.

Kristy Lynn McGaha

On Monday, April 1, Towns County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kristy Lynn McGaha, 38, charging McGaha with the following offenses:

• Two counts sale of methamphetamine
• Purchase/possession/manufacture/distribution/sale of methamphetamine
• Possession of methamphetamine
• Purchase/possession/manufacture/distribution/sale of marijuana
• Possession/use of marijuana

On Sunday, April 7, Yonah Peppers, 44, was arrested by Georgia State Patrol, charging Peppers with the following violations:

• Possession of methamphetamine
• Possession of Schedule 1 controlled substance
• Possession of marijuana – less than one ounce
• Driving under the influence of alcohol

McGaha and Peppers are being held at the Towns County Detention Center without bond.

Yonah Peppers

While circumstances surrounding individual drug use differ, statistics reveal that the proportion of Americans who use methamphetamine on a monthly basis has hovered in the range of .02 to .03 percent since 1999.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamine is highly addictive due to its potent action on the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals: dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine induces feelings of pleasure, reward, and motivation. Because methamphetamine significantly increases the brain’s levels of dopamine, the substance creates a euphoric rush when users ingest, inhale, or inject the drug.

Methamphetamine impacts the brain’s levels of serotonin, which is responsible for regulating mood, appetite, and memory. When the effects of methamphetamine subside, the brain is depleted of both dopamine and serotonin, creating feelings of depression and anxiety. Repeated use of methamphetamine leads to increased tolerance, causing users to require a higher dose to receive the same effect.

In 2018, Georgia Bureau of Investigation listed methamphetamine as the lead substance tested in the state crime lab.