A neighbor to the Lovers Lane home where three meth arrests were made last week said he was “mad and disgusted” that the contagion of drugs had been brought into his neighborhood. To get rid of this scourge, we all must be just as mad and just as disgusted.

Any addiction, by definition, is powerful. Methamphetamine must be exponentially worse.

Consider the rap sheet of Jimmy Cogan II, 30, who now faces manufacturing meth as well as child endangerment charges because his 4-year-old son was in the home.

• On May 22, 2003, records say, Cogan was convicted of meth possession and sentenced to serve three years. That sentence was suspended and he was assigned probation for five years.

• On June 11, 2004, that probation was revoked because, his probation officer testified, Cogan submitted a fake sample for required drug testing. He got one year of house arrest.

• On June 1, 2007, his probation was revoked again based on a positive test for cocaine. He admitted addiction and signed papers to enroll in intensive monitoring and testing by Warren County Drug Court.

• On Jan. 18, 2008, yet another affidavit says, he failed to abstain from illegal drugs and he was ordered to serve the original three-year prison term, which translated to about eight months.

• On Aug. 11, 2009, Cogan was arrested on the more serious, multiple felony counts which recently resulted in prison sentences of almost 30 years for a man about his age.

The second adult defendant, Sherman Brewer Jr., 28, also with a conviction three years ago, was on parole and was awaiting trial on a meth manufacturing indictment returned against him in May.

A juvenile was arrested at the same house the next day. We can only hope an intervention now will be helpful for the 16-year-old.

It’s a sad fact that so many young people consider themselves bulletproof. They think they can experiment with drugs and avoid addiction. Then, once hooked, they convince themselves they can avoid consequences.

Over and over again, we’re seeing that’s simply not true. It’s horrible to see young people inflict this harm on themselves, but we don’t have to let them inflict it on others. We must alert police to suspicious activity, just as residents of Lovers Lane did.