Jean McCandless, a veteran of the county's Children and Family Services Department, said the money is long overdue in sparsely populated areas where meth surfaced more than a decade ago. Abuse of the drug has plateaued in those places as it makes inroads in the suburbs. But McCandless and other social workers say they have not even begun to cope with the emotional problems littered across the remote valleys.

She remembers when the drug, which can be smoked, injected or swallowed, started creeping up from Mexico. The Antelope Valley, where neighbors live far apart, was ideal for meth labs and the vile mix of fecal and ether odors they emit. Desert dwellers saw how easy it was to produce meth in as little as 24 hours, and the drug became a home-grown product.

The cheap stimulant produces a powerful euphoria and sense of acuity that last much longer than the effects of cocaine or crack. Because "tweakers" can stay awake for days, meth is popular with truckers, students and the bleary workers who make the long-haul drives to their city jobs from the desert. From 1985 to 1994, hospital admissions for meth addicts increased by more than 450% across the state.