Methepidemic

From the Oregonian, describing the effects of meth using the dreaded "e"-word:

The children of meth:
Oregon's meth epidemic creates thousands of "orphans," abused and neglected children who fall into the state's care after their parents are arrested

When Sadie's parents were ramped-up on methamphetamine, they fought. Vicious fights, with fists, screams, guns and blood.

Sitting in Carol Chervenak's examination room at the ABC House in Albany, the 9-year-old girl recalled standing in the driveway, watching her dad, high and wild-eyed, hammer on her mother's head with the butt of a pistol...

...Sadie was on her way to a Linn County foster home, about to join the growing list of what police and social workers call Oregon's "meth orphans."

I'm reasonably certain that children like Sadie aren't a myth: I represented parents like hers for years, and this is the same Oregonian which Slate's Jack Shafer praised for its methamphetamine coverage.