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San Diego's Meth Problem
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Meth: Not Even Once campaign, Boise Idaho (Idaho Meth Project)
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San Diego Meth Resources
It’s the taboo subject for all major cities, especially the ones with a problem, Crystal Meth. Most of us will go through our lives only loosely knowing that “meth” is a drug, and a bad one at that, that will be the extent of it. But for some, it will become more than just a hush-hush topic, some will lose their family or their friends to this wicked substance.This drug has been cited as one of the fast rising and most deadliest in the nation.
It hits especially lose to home because, “Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco are the primary market areas for methamphetamine because these cities have very high levels of methamphetamine abuse and are among the leading regional- or national-level methamphetamine distribution centers.” (http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs11/13853/distro.htm)
The San Diego Union Tribune reported that according to the San Diego County Methamphetamine Strike Force and the San Diego Police Department, “one meth related criminal case costs San Diego taxpayers approximately $94,000” (in 2006). And, San Diego is only second to Los Angeles for meth-related ED mentions. In fact, “EPIC Pipeline, Convoy, and Jetway data indicate that San Diego is among the leading methamphetamine distribution centers.” (http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs11/13853/distro.htm)
The San Diego County Medical Examiner reported in 2004 there were 205 deaths in which methamphetamine was detected in the body, up twenty-five percent from 1995. And, while most are male, sixty percent were Caucasian.
Meth, however, does not discriminate. According to statistics, there are 1.5 million Americans addicted to the drug. Most crystal meth (also referred to as Ice, Crank, Crystal, Glass, Chalk and Speed) related sites report that the drug is “readily available, easy to use and cheap” (as compared to Heroin or Crack Cocaine). And sadly, with only one hit of the drug a person can become addicted.
According to Wikipedia.org (a well cited page with a tremendous amount of information), “Methamphetamine was first synthesized from ephedrine in Japan in 1893 by chemist Nagayoshi Nagai.” Crystal Meth would be developed later and is believed to have first been used in WWII for military purposes. In Nazi Germany, the military issued Pervatin (a pill form of crystal meth) to air pilots and troops as a stimulant to combat fatigue and allow soldiers to stay awake for very long periods of time, a reported side affect was “improved spirits” (http://www.amphetamines.com/nazi.html).
Methamphetamines cause the release of dopamine, which is the human body’s way of administering cravings. It is one of the most difficult addictions to treat. San Diego is not immune to the perils of the drug, as a matter of fact, San Diego’s meth cases are on the rise. While San Diego does not have a lot of clandestine meth labs, (where meth is created in garages, homes, apartments and hotel rooms) it does have international drug cartels shipping it through our city every day.
The DEA reported that, “The ARELLANO-Felix organization, the most violent of the gangs from Mexico, supplies methamphetamine to distributors in U.S. cities such as San Ysidro and San Diego, routinely employing gang members from Mexico to act as U.S. distributors. They operate on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border and smuggle between 50 and 100 pounds of methamphetamine into the United States monthly.” Meaning that a tremendous amount of meth is in your backyard, next to you on I-805 as you commute to work every day.
USAToday reported that 500 Sheriff Departments listed Crystal Meth as their number one drug problem (in 2008) surpassing Marijuana. And according to the National Survey on Drug Use and health, twelve million people have tried the drug and more than 50,000 meth labs have been busted since 2001.The Bush administration granted $16.2 million dollars toward the treatment of Methamphetamine Abuse, which is hardly enough to treat the existing cases let alone solve the national crisis.
Shadow of Meth is a documentary outlining the fact that while it was once considered a “poor mans drug” it is now destroying the lives of “soccer moms” and college students (link under photo, top left). Boise, Idaho recognizes its increasing problem and is running “Meth: Not even once” PSA’s on radio stations as well as commercials on television. One quick stroll through downtown Boise, just outside the University will have you chucking your cookies at the images of meth users on billboards.
- Restlessness/lack of sleep (meth users can stay awake for 24 hours, the pharmacology of meth indicates it has a half life of 9-15 hours)
- Extreme weight loss (meth users frequently have a drastic decrease in appetite)
- Tremors/Body Convulsions (side effects of the drug include increased respiration and high blood pressure)
- Hallucinations/Paranoia (since dopamine has an effect on the central nervous system these side effects are common)
- Dry Damaged Skin(meth causes users to have extremely dry skin, picking and or scratching ensues creating sores and scabs)
- Rotten Teeth (frequently referred to as Meth Jaw, meth dries out and rots the gums leading to grinding of the teeth and the collapsing of the jaw inward)
Additional Images: Faces of Meth by the Partnership for a Drug Free Coalition
How to call for help
If you, or someone you know is addicted to crystal meth, there are many organizations who offer free services and counsel. A list of resources and links are available on the top left side of this article for both San Diego and Nationwide.
San Diego Methamphetamine Strike Force Hotline (877) 662-6384
Cyrstal Meth Recovery Program (858) 546-9255
