An emergency room nurse is leading an educational campaign to fight methamphetamine abuse.

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Denice Larson, a trauma nurse at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, said she has seen children as young as 13 years old addicted to the drug.

Larson said most people on meth brought into the emergency room are not dying of an overdose, but are badly hurt because they used poor judgment while on the drug.

“They can hurt nurses and other people around them,” said Larson. “These patients can be violent. They can be difficult to get off meds.”

Almost 10 percent of the patients screened for street drugs at Emanuel’s ER have methamphetamine in their systems, according to officials.

She said it’s because she’s seen so much trauma that she’s leading the fight in the war on meth.

“I’m seeing kids as young as 13 addicted, little girls who are using it to have a body like Kate Moss,” said Larson.

According to Larson, when someone is addicted to meth, everyone pays the price in the form of higher medical costs.

She’s taken her anti-meth message to the streets, speaking at local schools, and urges everyone to do the same.

“Educate your children. Make them understand that it’s not a drug to play with,” Larson said.

Larson has teamed up with local police departments and hopes to do more educational seminars about meth dangers in the future.