Statistics from the Navajo Nation paint a damning portrait of the effect of methamphetamine on the largest tribe in the country.

Research by the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corp found that 25 percent of Navajo kids in Tuba City, Arizona, were exposed to meth. Nearly half of meth users were female, according to the study.

The local Indian Health Service has been tracking meth encounters since 1997, when 31 were recorded. But now there have been more than 5,000 encounters.

Navajo Nation police also report a rise in child abuse, domestic violence and property crimes due to meth. But with limited funding, the tribe is unable to address the problem, said Navajo Nation Council member Hope MacDonald-LoneTree.

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Mething up Din� children (The Gallup Independent 4/4)

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