Meth problem county's biggest drug threat

By Greg Rayburn

The Daily Citizen  15 Dec 2003

Local law enforcement officials are calling methamphetamine the principle drug threat to White County.

"We are having a hard time concentrating on some of the other drugs because of how bad the meth problem is here," Kyle Osborne, coordinator of the White, Prairie, Lonoke Drug Task Force, said.

Osborne's assessment of methamphetamine's impact on the Searcy area is echoed by another local narcotics officer, Roger Pearson, who works in the narcotics division of the Searcy Police Department.

"We cannot overemphasize how much of an effect methamphetamine is having on our community," Pearson said.

Osborne says horror stories of methamphetamine use may be turning off some readers due to the repetitive nature of the published accounts, but he said the DTF needs all the help and support it can get from the community in fighting this battle.

"We really appreciate assistance from the public," Osborne said.

The National Drug Intelligence Center published a report on methamphetamine abuse in October, 2002. It is the latest report available. It shows steady enforcement, but also a steady threat.

According to the Federal-wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS), federal law enforcement officials in Arkansas seized 13.8 kilograms of methamphetamine in 1998, 15.7 kilograms in 1999, 9.1 kilograms in 2000, 9.2 kilograms in 2001, and 14.8 kilograms in 2002. In addition, the Arkansas State Police seized more than 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine in 2001 and more than 37 kilograms in 2002.

The percentage of methamphetamine-related jail sentences has stayed near the 30-percent level for most of the years since 1997 in Arkansas, according to the FDSS.

In the latest year available, one-third of all drug convictions in Arkansas were due to meth use, down from 2000 figures where 41.9 percent of convictions were from illegal consumption of meth.

Osborne said a major problem for law enforcement is that many meth users are making their own drugs - all of which are made from materials easily available and legal.

"With marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, you either are growing something that is much easier to catch or it is trafficked in illegally," Osborne said.

With meth use, no drug traffickers are needed because anyone who knows what to buy can get them from local hardware and retail stores, Osborne said.

"It makes investigating meth cases very challenging," Osborne said.

But Osborne stressed local law enforcement officials have to do the investigations even though it's tougher.

"With these labs, you can blow yourself up ... you'll have people steal from other people to supply their habit," Osborne said. "This is a very serious public threat."

In the latest statistics available on meth labs, there were 955 methamphetamine laboratory seizures in 2002, according to the National Drug Intelligence Center's October 2003 report. Meth lab seizures have increased each year since 1998, being: 853 in 2001, 780 in 2000, 552 in 1999, and 428 in 1998.

"We have really tried to step up enforcement because five years ago we really started noticing this as a problem," Osborne said.

Osborne said the drug is very harmful to the body and people get hooked because of its initial side effects.

"You can take it and not need to sleep for days at a time," Osborne said. "But then you get hooked."

Even small amounts of methamphetamine can produce euphoria, increased alertness, paranoia, decreased appetite and increased physical activity. Other central nervous system effects include athetosis (writhing jerky, or flailing movements), irritability, extreme nervousness, insomnia, confusion, tremors, anxiety, aggression, incessant talking, hyperthermia, and convulsions. .

In addition, use can produce chest pain and hypertension which can result in cardiovascular collapse and death. In addition, methamphetamine causes accelerated heartbeat, elevated blood pressure and can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, said Osborne.

Other physical effects include pupil dilation, respiratory disorders, dizziness, tooth grinding, impaired speech, dry or itchy skin, loss of appetite, acne, sores, numbness, and sweating.

Psychological symptoms of prolonged meth abuse can resemble those of schizophrenia and are characterized by anger, panic, paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, repetitive behavior patterns, and formication (delusions of parasites or insects on the skin). Methamphetamine-induced paranoia can result in homicidal or suicidal thoughts.

Long-term effects can include fatal kidney and lung disorders, brain damage, liver damage, blood clots, chronic depression, hallucinations, violent and aggressive behavior, malnutrition, disturbed personality development, deficient immune system, and methamphetamine psychosis, a mental disorder that may be paranoid psychosis or may mimic schizophrenia.

Osborne said the processing required to make methamphetamine from precursor substances is easier and more accessible than ever. There are literally thousands of recipes and information about making meth on the Internet.

"An investment of a few hundred dollars in over-the-counter medications and chemicals can produce thousands of dollars worth of methamphetamine," Osborne said.

Osborne said parents should talk to their children about meth use.

Osborne said it is not hard to overdose on meth.

He said signs that someone may be using meth can include: Anxiety; nervousness; incessant talking; extreme moodiness and irritability; purposeless, repetitious behavior, such as picking at skin or pulling out hair; sleep disturbances; false sense of confidence and power; aggressive or violent behavior; disinterest in previously enjoyed activities; and severe depression.

Another problem with meth is the withdrawal symptoms.

The most common symptoms are drug craving, extreme irritability, loss of energy, depression, paranoia, excessive drowsiness or difficulty in sleeping, shaking, nausea, palpitations, sweating, hyperventilation, and increased appetite.

y they labeled Arkansas number one and White County number one. Needless to say, these people didn't come up with these figures by calling up the manufacturers. They got it by looking at the number we had taken down. If we hadn't done anything, we might have been listed as number 75 in the state."

Since January of 2001, Garrett said that statistics kept at the sheriff's department show that a total of 101 methamphetamine labs have been raided by the sheriff's department, state police, drug task force, or other agencies.

"This is a combined effort," he said. "The problem is so big that no one agency can get in there and fix it. It takes everyone doing their part. This class gives us that much more of an edge in that we now have two more people who are educated to go into a lab, identify the threat level, and do something about it."

Garrett said that he intends to send two more officers, Detective Fred Cheek and Patrol Sergeant Wendy Landis through the school as soon as two more openings are available in the class.