Meth – Public Enemy No. 1
Once known as “poor man’s cocaine,” the crystalline white powder known
as speed or meth, quickly seduces those who snort, smoke or inject it
with a euphoric rush of confidence, hyperalertness and sexual arousal
that can last for hours, even days on end, and then the destruction
begins.
Meth initially became popular in rural areas in the midwest, and on the
West Coast. With alarming rapidity the epidemic of meth has found it’s
way into the mainstream on its steady march across the country. Cheaper
than most other hard drugs, the highly addictive stimulant is spreading
to people across the socioeconomic spectrum, from soccer moms in
Illinois, and computer geeks in Silicon Valley to factory workers in
Detroit and gay professionals in New York and Los Angeles.
Recently, the White House drug policy office, realizing the potential
disaster on the horizon, has set a goal to cut meth use by 15 percent
over the next three years and increase seizures of meth labs by 25
percent. The abuse of meth, mistakenly thought to only be a minor
problem, has now become an issue on a national level.
With more than 12 million Americans having tried methamphetamine, and
1.5 million admitting to being regular users (according to federal
estimates) meth abuse is quickly spreading. The production of meth is at
an all time high as well. Meth labs have been uncovered in all 50
states, with Missouri topping the list, with more than 8,000 labs seized
between 2002 and 2004. Law enforcement officials across the United
States rank methamphetamine as the No. 1 drug problem they face today.
In a survey of 500 law-enforcement agencies in 45 states by the National
Association of Counties, 58 percent said meth is by far the biggest drug
problem they face, compared with only 19 percent for cocaine, 17 percent
for pot and 3 percent for heroin.
Meth addicts are pouring into prisons and meth rehabilitation centers at an
ever-increasing rate, and a new generation of “meth babies” is choking
the foster-care system in many states. About half the counties reported
that one in five inmates are jailed because of meth-related crimes like
robberies and burglaries. Another 17 percent of counties reported that
one in two inmates are incarcerated for meth-related activity. About
1,000 of the 2,800 inmates in the Oklahoma County jail are incarcerated
for meth-related crimes, he said. Even Mormon Utah has a meth problem,
with nearly half the women in Salt Lake City’s jail testing positive for
the drug in one study.
One thing is for sure, meth abuse is America’s biggest problem, making
it Public Enemy No. 1.
