WARNING!
Never approach, question, or attempt to investigate a suspected drug producer, distributor, or user! Report what you have observed to the local authorities!

To report a methamphetamine lab or distributor, call the Phoenix Police Department Drug Enforcement Bureau, at 602-426-1231 or fax 602-431-2134

To report an emergency, call 9-1-1 To report a non-emergency incident, call Crime Stop 602-262-6151

For additional information or to schedule a presentation call, 602-426-1231

"METH…Unsafe at Any Speed"

What is methamphetamine?

Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that is synthetically produced in clandestine laboratories. It was first produced in Japan, working its way through Hawaii and into the western United States by way of California. In the ‘60s and ‘70s methamphetamine wasn't very popular because it had to be injected and had several side effects. In the ‘80s, producers found ways to make methamphetamine more pure and powerful with longer lasting effects, which provided alternative methods to injection. Today, use of methamphetamine is widespread. Methamphetamine is now produced all across the nation in homes, farms and motels in what are commonly referred to as "mom and pop labs." In its street form, meth has no medicinal value. There are a number of prescription drugs that are made from ephedrine, which is the main ingredient in methamphetamine. Ephedrine has many uses including treating narcolepsy, obesity, common colds, and influenza. Chemists and highly trained technicians manufacture these drugs under controlled conditions in sterile environments. The medicines can still be dangerous to many people who suffer from high blood pressure and heart problems, or if abused. Methamphetamine is not made in any such controlled environment or even by a chemist. Meth is an illegal drug. People make it almost anywhere they can find a little privacy in residential and commercial areas, or outdoors in remote locations.

People who manufacture methamphetamine almost never have any formal training or background with many of the dangerous chemicals they use. They have even less regard for the hazardous waste they produce and leave behind. In many cases the manufacturers are drug addicts who produce drugs to support their own habits. In larger operations the manufacturers do not use the drug at all. They produce illegal drugs purely for profit.

People using methamphetamine today can snort or ingest the drug. Heavy or high intensity users will smoke or inject meth. The high intensity user will follow a cycle of use. It begins with the high. As the user comes off the drug they will start a binge cycle. After continued and extended use of meth they experience a tweaking stage, which is followed by a crash. "Tweaking" is described as that part of the cycle where meth no longer has any affect on the user. They will remain awake for up to 24 hours. The crash could be described as an unconscious state.

Smoking or injecting the drug provides a euphoric rush that will last from 5 to 30 minutes. The user is left with an escalated, yet false, feeling of well-being. The high will last from 4 to 16 hours before the person will begin to feel the effects wear off and will begin a binge. The methamphetamine user then attempts to avoid the crash by continued use of the drug until he no longer reacts to it. The binge can last as long as 15 days. The user will get little or no sleep and barely enough food to sustain life. At the end of the binge they go through the tweaking stage, then the "crash" occurs.

The crash usually involves an enormous amount of sleep, followed by 2 to 14 days of normalcy. Thirty to 90 days after the last drug use, the user will begin the "withdrawal stage." During this stage, the user will experience extreme feelings of depression and may become suicidal. The ability to experience pleasure has been substituted by the drug. Nothing the user does will bring them any pleasurable feelings except additional use of methamphetamine.

Who uses methamphetamine?

Criminals are not the only ones who use methamphetamine. Sometimes it is the homemaker who works, takes care of a home, and provides for the children. It can be the college student who needs a little stimulation to help get through some tough exams. It can be the men and women who work two sometimes three jobs, to provide for their family. It can run the gambit from professionals to young people who want to lose a little weight. Today, studies are revealing our sixth graders are experimenting with methamphetamine. They do not recognize the hazards of drugs, especially methamphetamine use.

Why?

In today’s world there exists a relaxed attitude regarding drugs that is more than a little frightening. Too many people use drugs to deal with their physical and emotional problems. As young people experiment parents too often say, "It's just a phase" or "It's no big deal, they all experiment, they’ll grow out of it." These attitudes are not really different from those of the past; in fact, they are the same attitudes that have contributed to the record number of alcoholics, drug abusers, and high-crime rates. Even with all the prevention, enforcement, and treatment programs, many families have not changed their attitudes regarding experimental use of drugs.

There are times when people experience personal problems that may be overwhelming and need assistance dealing with them. Too often that help comes from acquaintances as an offer to smoke a joint, take a hit of cocaine or methamphetamine. More than ever before people find themselves in situations where peers are using drugs and pressuring them to use. Our family members, friends, and relatives at some time will have to deal with the same pressure from their peers. These pressures, coupled with the relaxed attitudes in our society regarding drug use, can actually promote experimentation by children and adults. We must all strive to educate others on the dangers involved with drug use.

Drug abuse and dependence has to start somewhere. The illegal drugs available today have powerful effects. Sometimes, the first use starts an irreversible course. Especially when people try a drug like methamphetamine that makes them feel good. The drug falsely creates a sense of confidence. The user feels that it allows them to overcome shyness and low self-esteem. It makes them think they are in control of their life, which is the farthest from the truth. When people try powerful mind-altering drugs like methamphetamine, the first time may be all it takes to begin developing a dependency.

What is dependency?

Dependency is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as, "The state of being determined, influenced, or controlled by something else." There are two types of drug dependency: physiological and psychological. A person physically dependent will have very visible signs of their dependency. When to much time lapses between drug uses their body will respond in various ways, sometimes causing extreme physical discomfort. They relieve their discomfort by additional use of the drug on which they are dependent. An indicator of dependency may be a lack of personal hygiene, skin conditions or health problems associated with the drug.

A psychological dependency will not provide any physical distress. The user’s craving is all in their head. The user is convinced the drug is good for them. Incorrectly they may feel it helps to improve their performance or provide them unusual insight. People who have developed a psychological dependency will often reject the idea they are dependent. They may even quit for a short time to prove they are not "hooked." They often return to the drug, for in reality, they can not function normally without it. Methamphetamine influences its users, controls their actions and behavior, yet has no known physical discomfort. The drug also has a serious withdrawal stage. It causes the user to experience immense feelings of frustration and deep depression. It has been known to cause some users to commit suicide. The user will often resort to additional use of the drug to stop the withdrawal stage. According to Dr. Stalcup, director of the New Leaf Treatment Center in Concord, California, about 93 percent of methamphetamine-dependent users being treated will return to abusing methamphetamine.

What are the hazards?

Methamphetamine use will cause the metabolisms in our body to change. The heart will beat faster and irregularly. The blood pressure will rise dramatically. The likelihood of a drug induced stroke and heart failure suddenly becomes an immediate concern. Prolonged use will cause liver and kidney failure and begin to destroy blood vessels around the heart and in the brain. Long periods of meth use create behavior disorders associated with extremely violent tendencies and depression that sometimes result in injury, homicide, and suicide. The other detrimental long-term health and psychological effects associated with methamphetamine use are extensive. The legal penalties for production, sales, and possession of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs are severe. Violating these laws can cost people years of their freedom and destroy families.

Innocent bystanders are endangered by the production of meth. Methamphetamine is easy to make and can be manufactured almost anywhere. There is a chance a lab could be operating in your neighborhood or in a motel you have or will be staying in. You may have already stumbled across the hazardous waste left behind. It is normally dumped in the open, buried in shallow holes, or thrown in dumpsters. The hazardous waste may eventually contaminate the water table, streams or lakes our families visit and our communities use.

Meth producers have no production safeguards in place. Occasionally they die from the toxic and poisonous vapors that are produced. The children of the meth producers are additional victims. The children are exposed to these harmful vapors and other dangers such as fires or explosions, which are common occurrences, associated with these illegal labs.

Along with the increase of meth use there has been an alarming increase of macabre and senseless violence. Those acts of violence create scars for families and communities that will last a lifetime. The losses to society are immeasurable, the cost to tax payers is not.

In 1997 thirty-four meth labs were seized in the City of Phoenix, in 1999 one hundred sixteen labs were seized, an increase of 241%. The toxic nature of the materials used in meth labs requires specialized cleanup. The clean up cost for 1998 in Arizona of $462,911.00 was paid for by taxpayers. That price tag does not include the cost of training investigators or the man-hours invested in investigations, evidence gathering, and court costs. Because of the continued increase in production and use of methamphetamine, the clean up cost in Arizona is increasing by a minimum of a hundred thousand dollars each year. There still remain many unanswered questions:

• How many labs go undetected?
• How many children are exposed to toxic chemicals?
• How much hazardous and toxic waste is dumped in our communities?
• How many criminal acts is methamphetamine responsible for?

There is no way of knowing how much this drug is going to cost our communities in the future!

What can you do about it?

Our neighborhoods, communities, and cities should be safe places to raise our families. You can help keep them safe by being alert and reporting suspicious activity. Know your neighbors and be aware of any unusual activity or odors in the area. Odors similar to vinegar, ether, and acetone are commonly reported around methamphetamine laboratories. Be cautious of people who tend to be very secretive and keep late and unusual hours. Watch for neighbors in rentals who tend to be up all night and who may be running power in their garages or sheds at unusual times. Be aware of discarded items such as laboratory type glassware and equipment, heating elements, and large plastic containers and drums. Look for discoloration of buildings, pavement, and property that might be chemically induced, such as corrosion, tarnish, rusting, and bleaching. It is common to find clandestine drug labs operating in neighborhoods, motels, or in remote areas of the valley. It is also common for the producers of such illegal drugs to dump their lab equipment and hazardous waste in these same areas leaving neighborhoods, motels, and the countryside contaminated. Most of all trust your instincts. If you think something is wrong, or you observe suspicious behavior that might be drug related, call the Phoenix Police Department’s Drug Enforcement Bureau at 602-275-5886, if it’s an emergency call 9-1-1.

Do not think it can not happen to you or your family. Drugs are so prevalent in our society many people will come in contact with drug producers, distributors, or users. Your family and others will eventually have to make a decision about drug use. By providing them accurate and unbiased information they have a better chance of not becoming involved with methamphetamine or other drugs. There are many agencies in our community to assist those with a drug problem. The following are only a few that may provide information or assistance to a methamphetamine user and their families:

• Maricopa County Regional Behavioral Health Authority – Value Options 800-564-5465

• Arizona Drug and Gang Prevention Resource Center (480) 727-5015 or 1 888-432-2347– ask for the Clearinghouse for information and written materials or visit website

• TASC Inc. 602-254-7328

Join the Phoenix Police Department’s effort to stop meth production, sales, and use, by simply being a good neighbor. Be alert to changes in your community and report suspected drug activity to the Phoenix Police Department’s Drug Enforcement Bureau. Use the Methamphetamine Guide on the next few pages to help determine if you have discovered a methamphetamine lab or a dealer in your neighborhood. The guide will help you effectively report the information to the police officers responding to your request for assistance.

WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

To Report Methamphetamine Cooks Call The Phoenix Police Department Drug Enforcement Bureau

602-275-5886