ERs emerge as the frontline in the meth war

Dr. Doug Melzer usually works nights in the emergency room at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. He spends most of his time dealing with the usual emergency room fare: heart attacks, pneumonia, broken hips.

But about once a week he treats patients coming into the emergency room because they're psychotic from taking too much methamphetamine.

These patients are terrified. Their hearts are beating fast. Usually they're hallucinating.

When they come into the ER security guards meet them at the door. Six or seven people strap them to a hospital bed and a doctor injects them with a tranquilizer.

At S...