"Sure enough, you fall in," she says. "And it gets harder every time to climb out."

On this fall evening, Tina is sitting in the bottom of that hole. She's not going anywhere.

One of her friends keeps calling the apartment. The answering machine squawks every few minutes but Tina isn't picking up. She's curled over her glass pipe instead, melting the crystals inside, then drawing the smoke and the drug into her lungs.

Maybe when she gets back from Vegas, she says.

"Maybe then I'll go to detox."

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6-day series starts today

Methamphetamine is the overwhelming drug of choice among Utah women, the majority of whom have children.

In a six-day series, the Deseret Morning News looks at how meth addiction burdens courts, prisons and social services and puts children in harm's way. The series also chronicles the tragedies and triumphs of women whose lives are shattered by the insidious drug.

Sunday: Overview of the complex issues surrounding mothers hooked on meth.

Monday: Children victimized — and killed — in the mire of parents' meth addiction.

Tuesday: How meth abuse overloads courts, prisons and social services.

Wednesday: Meth lab busts are declining in Utah, but meth use is soaring.

Thursday: Up-close and personal look at women in detox and treatment.

Friday: What Utah should do to help families battling meth addiction.

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E-mail: lucy@desnews.com; romboy@desnews.com