North Carolina Governor's Crime Commssion

Tyler Barefoot, Student Intern; Wake Forest University
Richard Hayes, Senior Research Analyst; NC Criminal Justice Analysis Center, Governor’s Crime Commission

Methamphetamine Fact Sheet

In recent years, North Carolina has experienced a serious and growing threat from the manufacture and use of methamphetamine, sometimes known as “meth.” In just the last four years, secret drug labs that produce meth have increased dramatically across North Carolina. Our State Bureau of Investigation reported nine methamphetamine lab busts in 1999. In 2003, that number had grown to 177. (Roy Cooper, NC Attorney General, 2004)  

Introduction

In an effort to inform the public of the growing methamphetamine problem facing North Carolina and so many other states, the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission has created this fact sheet. Our aim is to provide timely information concerning the use, production, and distribution of D-methamphetamine to enhance the public’s knowledge of this dangerous and highly addictive drug. A heightened public awareness will enable North Carolina law enforcement to work together with its citizens towards eliminating this growing threat.

Background

D-methamphetamine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system of the human body creating a heightened since of awareness, abundance of energy, and sense of euphoria. Methamphetamine goes by a variety of street names including “speed,” “crank,” “ice,” “meth,” and “go-fast.” Methamphetamines began to emerge as a popular drug during the 1960’ in the West Coast region of the United States. DL-methamphetamine—a less potent and more toxic form than D-methamphetamine—was being produced and distributed by outlaw motorcycle gangs. The primary users were truck drivers who could use the stimulant to stay awake for an extended period of time.

It was not until the late 1980s that D-methamphetamine emerged as a result of a new ephedrine/pseudoephedrine (found in common over the counter cold remedies) reduction method in production. This new form of methamphetamine was more potent than the traditional DL-methamphetamine and also produced less adverse side effects causing its popularity to grow very quickly. Traditionally, the DL-methamphetamine form appealed to the white, blue-collar male community. However, the introduction of the new and more potent D-methamphetamine caused many changes in the abuser population. College students, young professionals, minorities, and most notably women were beginning to become D-methamphetamine abusers.

Since the introduction of D-methamphetamine in the late 1980s, methamphetamine abuse has spread quickly from the Southwestern states affecting various groups of the population. One major reason for the widespread growth of abusers is the ease with which D-methamphetamine can be produced clandestinely. Using the ephedrine/pseudoephedrine reduction method, “meth” cooks can obtain almost all of the ingredients necessary for production through local commercial retailers. While a great deal of the D-methamphetamine is produced locally in the United States, an overwhelming amount of the drug is also being produced clandestinely in Mexico as part of a multi-drug trafficking industry that feeds the growing demand of many abusers.

Use/Effects of Methamphetamines

D-methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the body’s central nervous system. It is a psychologically addictive drug unlike other substances such as heroin, which are physically addictive. This means that users cannot die from withdrawal, but can experience extreme depression. D-methamphetamine can be orally ingested, snorted, smoked, or injected. It appeals to many users because of the many different effects or “high” it causes within the body. Such effects include:

• Increased alertness

• An increase in energy

• A boost in the body’s metabolism that creates an euphoric feeling

Unlike the original DL-methamphetamine, D-methamphetamine does not produce side effects like stomach cramps, the shakes, or tremors. However, D-methamphetamine does have many adverse side effects that greatly damage the body. The cardiovascular system in particular suffers a great deal of damage. Problems can include, but are not limited to:

• Increased pulse and blood pressure

• Cardiac arrhythmia

• Stroke

While the cardiovascular system takes most of the damage, long term use of D-methamphetamine can produce many more symptoms. Long term abusers of D-methamphetamine not only suffer the physical effects of the drug, but also the psychological effects. Prolonged use can lead to:

• Insomnia

• Irritability

• Aggressiveness

• Paranoid psychosis

• Auditory and visual hallucinations

• Weight loss

• Stomach disorders

• Formication or “crank” bugs (hallucinations of bugs on the skin that users try to scratch off to the point of causing open sores)

Those who abuse D-methamphetamine can be classified into one of three groups: low-intensity users, binge users, and high-intensity users. The low intensity users generally swallow or snort D-methamphetamine. The “high” these users experience lasts from four to 16 hours. Most of the people that fall within the low-intensity user bracket are everyday average people looking for extra stimulation to stay awake and complete tasks or are using the drug for its weight loss purposes. However, low-intensity users still have the potential to fall into the category of binge-users.

Binge users and high-intensity users, while different in several aspects, share many of the same characteristics. These two types of users have moved from ingesting or snorting D-methamphetamine to smoking or injecting the drug, which presents yet another problem. By smoking or injecting D-methamphetamine the user experiences an euphoric rush that can last up to 30 minutes immediately following use of the drug. It is this euphoric rush that makes the drug so psychologically addictive. The reason for this is that smoking or injecting the drug stimulates the release of adrenaline and dopamine (the chemical which creates a sensation of pleasure). Binge users and high-intensity users continue to do more of the drug once the rush is over in order to achieve the sensation again. However, it takes more of the drug each time to get the same rush resulting in an addiction for the substance. After a binge period of anywhere from three to 15 days, users will go through a stage known as “tweaking” where they can become extremely delusional and even violent. After the binge and tweaking stages the body’s adrenaline supply has been depleted and the user goes into a “crash” phase where they will sleep for up to three days.

The difference between binge users and high-intensity users is found in their abuse patterns. Binge users will experience a period of normalcy for up to two weeks before experiencing withdrawal from the drug. This withdrawal period sends binge users into a deep depression in which they experience extreme fatigue and a longing for more of the drug. High-intensity users on the other hand fall into a repetitive cycle of binge use followed by the crash. Their only purpose is to try to prevent the crash and reach the original euphoric rush. Some of the indicators for those who heavily abuse D-methamphetamine include:

• Sweating due to raised body temperature

• Body odor due to poor personal hygiene

• Bad teeth which turn gray and then black

• Scars and open sores due to formication

The most important thing to understand about binge and high-intensity users is the serious risk that they pose while in the “tweaking” phase. This phase comes at the end of the binge period when no amount of the drug can re-create the desired high. This stage creates great frustration in users and they can become very dangerous. “Tweakers” can become extremely paranoid, violent, and delusional. These “tweakers” will appear very calm and normal exhibiting concise movement and speech, but a closer look will reveal rapid eye movement and jerky motions. The slightest confrontation can trigger a violent reaction in an extremely paranoid user. If ever in contact with a suspected “tweaker” these tips can help avoid any problems:

• Keep a social distance

• Slow your speech and lower your voice

• Slow your movements

• Keep your hands visible

These tips can prevent a “tweaker” from slipping into a paranoid delusion that may set them off.

Production

Another major reason for the growth in methamphetamine abuse is the easy production of D-methamphetamine. The ephedrine/pseudoephedrine reduction method used for producing the drug has expanded the number of people capable of cooking up methamphetamines. The needed materials can either be homemade or bought from commercial retailers, and ingredients necessary can be found in most any drug store. Also, a “meth” lab can be set up in almost any location. Hotel rooms, barns, trailers, secluded spots in the woods, and even the kitchens in personal homes are some of the most common places for production. This production method is much easier than that of the methods used in the 1960s and 1970s for creating DL-methamphetamine.

The ease of producing D-methamphetamine comes with many hazards that can affect people outside of those who make it. The cooking process can yield five pounds of hazardous waste for every pound of finished D-methamphetamine. These wastes include acids and gases that are either extremely toxic or extremely flammable. Poor supervision of a “meth” lab can result in devastating explosions and fires ruining personal property and endangering lives.

These wastes not only pose a threat to the people around them, but also to the environment. Wastes are disposed of in a number of ways. Some cooks will dig pits and bury the waste in the ground, simply toss it out on the ground, or dispose of it on the side of a highway or in a dumpster. These very toxic byproducts can contaminate ground water and soil to the point of completely ruining them.

One of the most disturbing aspects of D-methamphetamine production is the hazard that it presents for children in homes where “meth” is being cooked. In many of the homes raided by law enforcement officers, children have been found in close contact with materials of production. The substances involved in the production, as well as wastes, can saturate the walls, floors, and furniture in a home exposing children to various toxins. Many children found in homes where methamphetamine is being produced have respiratory problems such as asthma.

The hazards of producing D-methamphetamine present the problem of costs to the public. When a “meth” lab is discovered emergency clean up teams are called in to properly dispose of the hazardous chemicals being used and produced. These clean ups can potentially have a cost of $10,000 or more depending upon the level of contamination at a site. This cost comes out of the public’s tax dollars. Costs to property owners are also an issue since the chemical toxins can ruin structures and land. The State Bureau of Investigation, this year purchased two new mobile hazardous chemical clean up units at a cost of nearly $500,000, not to mention the public cost to fund agents knowledgeable of clandestine lab clean up. They have several of these teams positioned across the state for rapid response. The SBI advises local law enforcement not to attempt seizure and clean-up of these labs without an SBI hazardous waste response team.

Distribution

The distribution of D-methamphetamine in the United States has been increasing as more people become users. While there is a growing number of small-scale producers that can distribute their product locally, the majority of D-methamphetamine being distributed in the U.S. comes from California and Mexico.

With the development of the ephedrine/pseudoephedrine reduction method for producing D-methamphetamine, many drug organizations in the California and Mexico regions began mass producing “meth” and distributing it across the nation. As this purer and cheaper form of methamphetamine is introduced into the population, more people are helping to create a larger market with a strongly growing demand. This demand has caused the entry of more D-methamphetamine as well as products that are used as precursors when producing the drug. Large quantities of pseudoephedrine (over the counter cold medication) have been working their way into the U.S. from various places, most notably Canada. Large quantities of the plant ephedra--a plant containing the precursor substance of ephedrine—are being imported from Asia, as well as a pill form of D-methamphetamine blended with caffeine.

D-methamphetamine is also being more widely distributed because of how relatively cheap it is. “Meth” has effects similar to that of cocaine, but with a longer lasting high and a cheaper price making it the growing stimulant of choice. In the Western and Southwestern regions of the U.S. the drug is particularly cheap because of the large amounts produced in the region.

While outlaw motorcycle gangs continue to be associated with the distribution of this drug, youth gangs, particularly Hispanic gangs, have shown a rise in local and regional distribution. Many of the producers with small clandestine labs seem to be cooking first for a personal supply of the drug and second a portion to sell.

Additional Information on Methamphetamine

North Carolina :

Attorney General Roy Cooper Issues Final Meth Report:
http://www.ncdoj.com/DocumentStreamerClient?directory=WhatsNew/&file=meth%20final%20report.pdf

Attorney General Cooper’s Plan to Fight Meth:
http://www.ncdoj.com/DocumentStreamerClient?directory=WhatsNew/&file=preliminary%20meth%20report.pdf

Meth Busts in North Carolina:
http://www.ncdoj.com/DocumentStreamerClient?directory=WhatsNew/&file=Clan%20lab%20maps.pdf

Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Notes on Waste Screening When Meth Lab Waste May be Present
http://www.wastenotnc.org/SWHOME/SWMethFlierA.doc

Dept. of Health and Human Services, Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratories Information & Safety Sheet
http://www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/oii/pdf/methlab.pdf

National Resources:

National Institute On Drug Abuse:
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/methamphetamine.html and
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Methamph/Methamph.html

Office of National Drug Control Policy:
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/methamph/ and
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/methamphetamine/

National institute on Drug Abuse:
http://www.streetdrugs.org/pdf/RRMetham.pdf

Drug and Alcohol Service Information System:
http://www.streetdrugs.org/pdf/SpeedTX.pdf

Drug Enforcement Administration:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/amphetamines.html

US Dept. of Health and Human Services and SAMHSA’s National Clearing House for Alcohol and Drug Information:
http://www.health.org/govpubs/PHD861/