By JENNIFER ELLEDGE
elledge@du2.byu.edu
Methamphetamine use currently poses one of the most significant narcotic threats to Utah.
'Right now we are third in the nation for meth labs and meth production, and there have been 150 meth lab seizures this year alone in Salt Lake City,' said B.L. Smith, training coordinator for Utah Peace Officer Association.
Crank, ice, zip, cristy, chalk, go-fast are all common street names for the drug methamphetamine.
According to information from the Koch Crime Commission, methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that can last anywhere from eight to 24 hours with effects ranging from hallucinations, sleeplessness, panic and, in the more severe reactions, death.
Meth is illegally produced in pill form, capsules, powder and chunks. According to statistics from the KCC, the average meth 'cook' annually teaches ten other individuals how to make it.
Pat Clements a Licensed Substance Abuse counselor said meth is a really bad problem because it is so highly addictive.
'A lot of meth addiction comes from cultural mores of our society. Americans are always busy and on time limits to get things done. Meth gives people the sense that they are in control and on top of things because it is a stimulant and helps them stay awake,' Clements said.
He also said the number of teenage girls using meth is increasing.
'A lot of girls have started using meth because it is a speed and helps to keep their weight down,' Clements said.
Meth has also been called the poor man's cocaine and that's part of the reason it's so prevalant in Utah.
'It is cheaper than cocaine and a lot of it people are getting it for free. The amazing thing in the drug world is that everybody knows everybody and drugs are so readily available,' Clements said.
Don Mendrala Drug Enforcement Administration resident in charge said Utah's meth supply comes from either domestically produced 'mom and pop' clandestine labs or it comes across from the Mexican border.
'We see a lot of meth labs in storage facilities. You can do it anywhere and it doesn't require a lot of room. As long as you have access to basic utilities, meth can be produced in hotel rooms, apartments, vehicles, vacant buildings and back rooms,' Mendrala said.
Smith said innocent people are getting hurt by meth labs because many times meth cannot be seen or smelled.
'Only 20 percent of the time can meth be seen or smelled, but you can still become contaminated. We have had children and families become contaminated and sometimes even police officers who go in to help clean and evacuate buildings,' Smith said.
Once a meth lab has been seized, the easiest way to take care of the problem is to go in and gut the building and clean out all of the toxic materials, but that is also creating problems in Utah.
'Utah does not have a way of dealing with the clean-up costs for meth labs. Usually when an environmental hazard is detected, a company will work quickly to clean it up to avoid further problems. But when you are dealing with criminals already in jail for meth, then they will not be motivated to clean the mess,' Smith said.
Utah has begun implementing major changes to help combat the growing meth problem, Smith said.
'We have instituted Community Action teams, who work together to help fight meth in our communities.
'This is important because Utah needs a unified state and federal response team to deal with the ramifications of meth and meth labs. This is a whole new approach and what we are trying to do is raise awareness to lower vulnerability,' Smith said.
In early June, police also secured a grant created in cooperation with Senator Orrin Hatch and General Barry McCaffrey of the office of National Drug Control Policy for $587,000 to help combat the state's meth problem.
Most of the money from the grant will go to enhancing equipment and some will be used to cover officer overtime, Mendrala said.
Scott Barnett, special agent, said the grant has given law enforcement agencies more people to help patrol and enforce drug laws.
'I think we are doing good ... We are making great strides. We were a little behind the curve, because we did not anticipate meth to be such a big problem, but we are catching up,' Barnett said.
A lot of legislation has also been pushed through to help Utah combat the growing methamphetamine problem.
'We have made legislation that cuts down on precursor chemicals called the Clandestine Drug Act,' Barnett said.
'Precursor chemicals are the source of methamphetamine. The Act limits the amount of precursor chemicals such as ephederine and iodine crystals that a person can have. We are able to monitor the stores that sell these products and make sure that they are selling those products within the legal limits.'
Smith said the issue of meth in Utah was raised earlier enough that Utah is light years ahead in the way they are dealing with the problem.
'In the past year, we have changed state and city law, pushed through legislation and have worked to educate community members and organizations on the problems associated with meth,' Smith said.
Law enforcement officials are in agreement that for any type of success agencies need to work together in order to combat the growing meth problem within the state. However, the greatest difficulty may come from outside the state.
'I think we can get control of the domestic meth production problem, but the greater problem may lie in the importation of meth to Utah from Mexico,' Mendrala said.
Trooper Tercy Jorgensen of the Utah Highway Patrol agrees that a lot of methamphetamine traffickers are using I-15 to transport the drug.
'Meth is quickly becoming the most popular drug and a lot of it is coming up through I-15. A lot of the meth we have seized is part of the Mexican drug ring,' Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen explained that the last meth seizure on I-15 was 36 pounds.
'Even with a seizure like that, the majority of drugs are getting through and seizures like this one probably aren't enough to bother the traffickers.'