Methamphetamine Production Research Articles

Strategies to detect trace methamphetamine contamination on hard surfaces: Assessing realistic performance of commercially available presumptive tests and a laboratory-based LC-MS/MS method.

Recreational methamphetamine production and heavy use can result in dwelling contamination that is difficult to detect. First responders and public health officials may use commercially available trace methamphetamine detection (presumptive) test kits to understand apparent and hidden dangers in impacted dwellings. Here, we assessed the limit of detection (LOD) of several commercially available presumptive test kits using simulated contaminated hard surfaces. Pyrex petri dishes were spiked with aliquots of methanolic methamphetamine solutions to reach desired simulated contamination levels. Commercially available presumptive tests were conducted according to manufacturer instructions and using included sample preparation materials, when available. Additionally, a laboratory-based liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) trace methamphetamine quantification method was developed and validated using the EZSTATSG2 tool. For the LC-MS/MS method, samples were collected using 2-ply alcohol prep pads and methamphetamine was extracted using a 1:1 (v:v) methanol: water solution. Most presumptive tests considered were able to detect trace levels of methamphetamine extracted from hard surfaces, with LOD ranging from 0.10-15.00 μg/sample. Comparatively, the laboratory-based LC-MS/MS LOD was 0.05 μg/sample and limit of quantitation was 0.10 μg/sample. The LC-MS/MS method may be useful when the presence of dust or other contaminants interferes with presumptive test interpretation or reliability. Costs of presumptive tests varied from several dollars to tens of dollars, which is included alongside LOD results to aid stakeholders in identifying which test(s) are the best fit for purpose. Therefore, first responders, public health officials, and other stakeholders have several options for assessing trace methamphetamine contamination.

The impact of pseudoephedrine regulation at Australian pharmacies through Project Stop: A narrative review.

Project Stop, a real-time monitoring program for pseudoephedrine-containing medicines, was initiated in 2005 by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia in collaboration with police in the state of Queensland. The program implemented an online database to record pseudoephedrine purchases (and attempted purchases) to prevent large-scale diversion to methamphetamine production. This narrative review aims to understand the overall impact of Project Stop, what evidence exists for this kind of intervention in Australia, and what lessons can be learned from its introduction. Systematic database searches were conducted in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar, with 20 relevant sources selected for inclusion. Project Stop successfully prevented some pseudoephedrine from being diverted from pharmacies to methamphetamine production. The intervention has been most effective in jurisdictions that made the program mandatory. Project Stop was also associated with a temporary decline in clandestine laboratory seizures in Queensland, changes in methamphetamine production methods and reduced voluntary treatment admissions for methamphetamine use. Implementation was not associated with an appreciable effect on secondary indicators, such as methamphetamine production and harmful use. Future applications of a Project Stop model must ensure ongoing impact evaluation, assessment of its effect on individual's drug-related behaviour and combine it with policies that address drug use as a health issue. Project Stop has been narrowly successful in terms of reducing pseudoephedrine diversion and demonstrates the potential for third-party policing practices directed at the consumer level, in collaboration with healthcare practitioners, rather than only regulating precursor wholesalers.

Methamphetamine contamination in residential properties and their remediation in Queensland, Australia

The high use rate for methamphetamine in Australia has led to the emergence of local clandestine production. Contamination of the properties being used for methamphetamine production or consumption poses adverse health risks to occupants, and thus remediation is highly desirable to protect them. However, the residue level and removal efficiency of methamphetamine is not well documented yet in the literature. This study examined the level of methamphetamine residue on the surfaces of different materials in different rooms before and after remediation in Queensland with 561 swab samples taken from 47 properties suspected of methamphetamine production or consumption. Results indicated that kitchens and bathrooms usually had the highest levels of methamphetamine detected in surface wipe samples of all room types, while laminated and painted surfaces had higher methamphetamine contamination than the surfaces of other materials. Our results also indicated that properties with high residue levels and in certain situations might require multiple clean-ups, probably due to the low effectiveness of the remediation methods and the release of methamphetamine from within the matrix for porous materials. Efforts should be spent in the future to improve removal efficiency by using advanced technologies. This will inform methamphetamine contamination management guidance.

Import substitution in illicit methamphetamine markets

The United States passed a series of precursor control laws between 2004 and 2006 which aimed to decrease illicit methamphetamine production by limiting access to key inputs. We provide evidence that this caused suppliers to substitute towards Mexican-produced methamphetamine. Using a difference-in-differences identification strategy, we show that the treatment effect of precursor controls on lab seizures was largest in the middle of the United States. This is consistent with substitution towards imports, where differences in each region's ability to substitute towards imports generates heterogeneous effects on domestic production. To quantify the effect of precursor controls on domestic costs and imports, we estimate a model of illicit methamphetamine production using data on lab seizures and methamphetamine prices. We find that precursor controls increased domestic costs by 114%–190%. Substitution towards Mexican-produced methamphetamine decreased the effect of precursor controls on methamphetamine prices by 62%–83%, relative to a counterfactual world without import substitution.

A Decade of Change in the Gendered Organizational Structure of Methamphetamine Markets in the American Midwest

Abstract While much research has documented the gendered organization of crime markets, the variability of gender-segmentation across crime has received limited attention. Analysing interview data from a study involving two cohorts of incarcerated women who used methamphetamine in rural Missouri, USA, 40 in 2009 and 40 in 2019, this study investigates the organizational properties of markets following a shift from local methamphetamine production to imported methamphetamine, ice. Properties of the ice market include amplified uncertainty, rationality, complexity, and professionalism, as well as a shifted modus operandi with common use of violence; properties contributing to heightened exclusionary practices and gendered stereotyping. The study provides evidence to Steffensmeier’s theory of variability of gender segregation in crime markets and shows the ramifications that policy changes can have.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Drug Use Behaviors, Fentanyl Exposure, and Harm Reduction Service Support among People Who Use Drugs in Rural Settings.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the opioid overdose crisis in the US. Rural communities have been disproportionately affected by opioid use and people who use drugs in these settings may be acutely vulnerable to pandemic-related disruptions due to high rates of poverty, social isolation, and pervasive resource limitations. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods study to assess the impact of the pandemic in a convenience sample of people who use drugs in rural Illinois. We conducted 50 surveys capturing demographics, drug availability, drug use, sharing practices, and mental health symptoms. In total, 19 qualitative interviews were performed to further explore COVID-19 knowledge, impact on personal and community life, drug acquisition and use, overdose, and protective substance use adaptations. Results: Drug use increased during the pandemic, including the use of fentanyl products such as gel encapsulated “beans” and “buttons”. Disruptions in supply, including the decreased availability of heroin, increased methamphetamine costs and a concomitant rise in local methamphetamine production, and possible fentanyl contamination of methamphetamine was reported. Participants reported increased drug use alone, experience and/or witness of overdose, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Consistent access to harm reduction services, including naloxone and fentanyl test strips, was highlighted as a source of hope and community resiliency. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic period was characterized by changing drug availability, increased overdose risk, and other drug-related harms faced by people who use drugs in rural areas. Our findings emphasize the importance of ensuring access to harm reduction services, including overdose prevention and drug checking for this vulnerable population.

Why Are Federal Meth Sentences Getting Longer?

While sentence lengths for most federal drug trafficking offenses have decreased in recent years, methamphetamine sentences are moving in the opposite direction, lengthening by 12% between FY2015 and FY2019. Using data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission and other sources, I consider several possible reasons for this increase. I conclude that four recent trends have jointly produced longer meth sentences: (1) drug volumes have increased, (2) the criminal history of the average offender has become more extensive, (3) weapon enhancements and charges have become more common, and (4) cases have grown increasingly likely to be sentenced as high-purity “ice” or by “actual” meth content, which carry much more punitive mandatory and guideline minimums than meth mixture. How much of the increase in sentence lengths has been attributable to shifting case characteristics (e.g., growing drug volumes, changing criminal histories, and increased weapons use) versus efforts to charge and pursue offenses that carry greater penalties? I use USSC data to conduct several simulations estimating how sentence lengths would have evolved if all meth cases were sentenced as the same meth type. I predict that the average meth trafficking sentence would have lengthened by 27–33% less, or 3.3–4.0 fewer months, if all cases were sentenced as the same meth type but all other case attributes remained unchanged. The remainder of the growth is attributable to case and offender characteristics. However, this prediction assumes that relief and leniency decisions would not change if statutory and guideline minimums were altered; to allow for this possibility, I run another set of simulations, taking these possible offsetting effects into account. My latter simulations predict that trafficking sentences might have increased 13–16% less than they did in reality, a smaller magnitude than my initial estimates. I briefly consider the underlying reasons for these trends. Some, but not all, of the changing offense characteristics may be linked to the recent shift to Mexican methamphetamine production. The timing of the shift in meth type charged suggests it may largely be the result of a change in Justice Department charging policy enacted in 2017; this shift cannot be attributed to any change in drug purity.

Surface Contamination Generated by "One-Pot" Methamphetamine Production.

Methamphetamine production is the most common form of illicit drug manufacture in the United States. The "one-pot" method is the most prevalent methamphetamine synthesis method and is a modified Birch reduction, reducing pseudoephedrine with lithium and ammonia gas generated in situ. This research examined the amount of methamphetamine surface contamination generated by one-pot syntheses or "cooks", as well as the effectiveness of hosing with water as a simplified decontamination technique, to assess associated public health and environmental consequences. Concentrations of methamphetamine contamination were examined prior to production, after production, and after decontamination with water. Contamination was qualitatively field screened using lateral flow immunoassays and quantitatively assessed using a fluorescence covalent microbead immunosorbent assay. Following screening, 0 of 23 pre-cook samples, 29 of 41 post-cook samples, and 5 of 27 post-decontamination samples were positive. Quantitatively, one pre-cook sample had a methamphetamine concentration of 1.36 ng/100 cm2. Post-cook and post-decontamination samples had average methamphetamine concentrations of 26.50 ± 63.83 and 6.22 ± 12.17 ng/100 cm2, respectively. While all one-pot methamphetamine laboratories generate different amounts of waste, depending on the amount of precursors used and whether the reaction vessel remained uncompromised, this study examined the surface contamination generated by a popular one-pot method known to law enforcement. By understanding the amount of surface contamination generated by common methods of one-pot methamphetamine production and the effectiveness of decontamination techniques used to remediate them, health risks associated with these production sites can be better understood and environmental contamination can be mitigated.

Patterns of methamphetamine production among an international sample of methamphetamine 'cooks'.

The illicit manufacture of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories is associated with significant risks to the community and environment. Currently little is known about clandestine laboratories or the individual 'cooks' who operate them; current research directly engaging with cooks is limited to three qualitative studies with small samples (n < 24) of cooks based in the USA. This descriptive brief report starts to address this knowledge gap by exploring characteristics of an international sample of self-identified methamphetamine cooks. Using data from the 2017 and 2018 Global Drug Surveys, we identified 125 individuals from 24 countries who reported past manufacture of methamphetamine. We explored respondents' socio-demographic characteristics and patterns of methamphetamine production using descriptive statistics. The majority of methamphetamine cooks were male (82%) and Caucasian (70%) and, contrary to previous studies, 43% were employed and 51% had at least a high school certificate. Cooks most commonly sourced precursors from pharmacies (50%), followed by friends (24%). Almost half of the cooks (47%) produced methamphetamine exclusively for self-consumption. The heterogeneous nature of the sample and varying precursor sources reflect the limitations of existing regulations aimed at limiting methamphetamine production. These findings point to the need for innovative and multi-faceted efforts aimed at reducing and preventing the harms associated with methamphetamine manufacture.

Detection of one pot methamphetamine laboratory byproducts in wastewater via solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The One Pot method has become the primary method of methamphetamine production in clandestine drug laboratories across the United States, due to its simple procedure and the availability of required materials. Despite its simplicity, One Pot reactions are highly flammable and, barring an explosion or fire incident, they may not be discovered for an extended period of time. While reactive investigations remove clandestine laboratories from communities, proactive efforts would identify One Pot methamphetamine laboratories before extensive harm is brought to people and the environment. This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of One Pot methamphetamine laboratory detection through wastewater monitoring. Methamphetamine was produced via the One Pot method and the powdered methamphetamine was filtered out of each reaction. In collaboration with local authorities, the resulting waste materials generated during the One Pot methamphetamine reactions were deposited into a semi-isolated stretch of a municipal wastewater system. Wastewater samples were collected post-deposit, extracted via solid phase extraction and analyzed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Methamphetamine, pseudoephedrine, and ephedrine were all detectable in the wastewater, as well as an over-reduced methamphetamine byproduct known as CMP [1-(1′,4′-cyclohexadienyl)-2-methyl-aminopropane]. This research identified and demonstrated the potential for analyzing wastewater to detect clandestine One Pot methamphetamine laboratories within communities.

National Toxic Substances Incidents Program - Nine States, 2010-2014.

Problem/ConditionEvery year in the United States, thousands of toxic substance incidents harm workers, first responders, and the public with the potential for catastrophic consequences. Surveillance data enable public health and safety professionals to understand the patterns and causes of these incidents, which can improve prevention efforts and preparation for future incidents.Period Covered2010–2014.Description of SystemIn 2010, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) initiated the National Toxic Substance Incidents Program (NTSIP), and it was retired in 2014. Nine state health departments participated in NTSIP surveillance: California, Louisiana, North Carolina, New York, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin. The states conducted surveillance on acute toxic substance incidents, defined as an uncontrolled or illegal acute (lasting <72 hours) release of any toxic substance including chemical, biologic, radiologic, and medical materials. Surveillance focused on associated morbidity and mortality and public health actions. This report presents an overview of NTSIP and summarizes incidents and injuries from the nine participating states during 2010–2014.ResultsDuring 2010–2014, participating state health departments reported 22,342 incidents, of which 13,529 (60.6%) met the case definition for acute toxic substance incidents, and included 6,635 injuries among 5,134 injured persons, of whom 190 died. A trend analysis of the three states participating the entire time showed a decrease in the number of incidents with injuries. NTSIP incidents were 1.8 times more likely and injured persons were 10 times more likely to be associated with fixed facilities than transportation. Natural gas, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and chemicals used in illegal methamphetamine production were the most frequent substances in fixed-facility incidents. Sodium and potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, natural gas, and sulfuric acid were the most frequent substances in transportation-related incidents. Carbon monoxide was the most frequent substance in incidents with a large number of injured persons, and chemicals used in illegal methamphetamine production were the most frequent substance in incidents involving decontamination. Incidents most frequently occurred during normal business days (Monday through Friday) and hours (6:00 a.m.–5:59 p.m.) and warmer months (March–August). The transportation and warehousing industry sector had the largest number of incidents (4,476); however, most injured persons were injured in their private residences (1,141) or in the industry sectors of manufacturing (668), educational services (606), and real estate rental and leasing (425). The most frequently injured persons were members of the public (43.6%), including students. Injured first responders, particularly police, frequently were not wearing any chemically protective equipment. Respiratory system problems (23.9%) were the most frequently reported symptoms among injured persons and, in a related finding, volatilization was the most frequent type of release in incidents with injured persons.InterpretationIndustrial and transportation incidents occur frequently and have the potential for catastrophic outcomes. However, exposures to toxic substances occur frequently in other settings. Carbon monoxide, natural gas, and chemicals used in illegal methamphetamine production are commonly found in places where persons live, work, attend school, and recreate and are large contributors to incidents affecting the public. Having active NTSIP state surveillance programs did appear to improve the incidents with morbidity and/or mortality, but these programs have ended.Public Health ActionArchived NTSIP public use data are available to download from the website for analysis. There are also many publications and reports on the website to help understand chemical risks. In addition, jurisdictions might choose to collect surveillance data themselves in a similar manner to what NTSIP states did. Chemical incident surveillance data can be used by public health and safety practitioners, worker representatives, emergency planners, preparedness coordinators, industries, and emergency responders to prepare for and prevent chemical incidents and injuries. As noted by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, more action needs to be taken to prevent large industrial incidents. Although preventing such incidents might not be in the realm of public health, describing the public health implications and preparing for them is. Another important finding of NTSIP is that industrial incidents are only part of the problem. For example, a large number of persons were injured in a private residence or vehicle (22.2%) and an educational facility (11.8%). Public health professionals must resourcefully target prevention and preparedness to protect vulnerable populations in locations where they might spend time (e.g., schools, daycares, nursing homes, recreational areas, jails, prisons, and hospitals). Reducing the threat of chemical incidents and injuries in the United States will require a concerted effort with a variety of stakeholders including industry and labor, responder groups, policymakers, academia, and citizen advocacy groups.

The Alchemy of Meth: A Decomposition by Jason Pine

Reviewed by: The Alchemy of Meth: A Decomposition by Jason Pine William Garriott Jason Pine. The Alchemy of Meth: A Decomposition. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2019. 203 pp. Jason Pine. The Alchemy of Meth: A Decomposition. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2019. 203 pp. I have been looking forward to The Alchemy of Meth for some time. Having read Pine's earlier work on methamphetamine and "narcocapitalism" (Pine 2007), I was excited to read his book-length treatment of the topic. What I found surprised me. It is not a conventional academic text. The introduction, for instance, provides only a brief overview of the book's main theme: home methamphetamine production and its place within the "late industrial" United States. There is no literature review, no index, and the bibliography is spartan at best. Instead, the book is organized as a series of vignettes, observations, and artefacts. Some are stories of people, whose lives are caught up in methamphetamine and unfold over the course of the text. Some are excerpts from other sources, ranging from the Bible to the writings of medieval and Renaissance alchemists. And some detail natural changes taking place in the Missouri landscape—a reminder, in Pine's words, that "there's an ordinary seasonal world just outside the often claustrophobic worlds of meth making" (xix). So written, the book is "a decomposition" that traces the entwinement of people, things, and lives in the context of methamphetamine. The Alchemy of Meth defies easy summary. It is a book about methamphetamine production in the midwestern US. Methamphetamine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that has risen in popularity over the past two decades. It is unique in that it is one of the few illicit drugs that can be manufactured domestically. The production process can take several forms but relies on toxic ingredients such as battery acid and [End Page 825] anhydrous ammonia that, when combined, are always at high risk of exploding. Meth's association with white, rural populations has helped spur the racial and spatial reconfiguration of the "drug problem" in the US in the 21st century, from an urban black problem to a rural white one. It has had a particularly significant impact on the midwestern US, where The Alchemy of Meth is set. The book centers on a northeastern Missouri county that Pine calls St. Jude. For most of two decades it held the national record for most meth lab busts, leading some to call it the "meth capital" of the United States. Pine goes to great lengths to normalize rather than fetishize meth production, situating it "as one craft within a repertoire of local material cultural practices" (xvi). To this end, he is quick to note that everyday life in the county of 200,000 people is not dominated by methamphetamine. But the fact that meth has thrived here tells us something about the town's place in the spacetime of late industrialism and its hallmarks of "deteriorating infrastructures, wasted landscapes, climate change, knowledge production, and governance laced with commercial interests, and the persistent desire for toxic consumer goods that continues to motivate their mass manufacture" (xiv). Pine does not detail his methods, but he does mention spending a lot of time doing the kinds of things ethnographers typically do. He interviewed meth users and cooks, and he explored the remains of over 200 former meth labs. He also spent time doing less meth-centered activities. He hung out in local bars, restaurants, churches, and libraries; he participated in Narcotics Anonymous meetings, Lions Club social events, and gatherings of the Photography Club and Paranormal Society; and he spent time speaking with lots of different kinds of people—from federal police and drug-treatment specialists to farmers and dentists. More so than most ethnographers, Pine focused on things—from the ephemera at flea markets to those things left behind at the sites of former meth labs. This focus on things ties into his interest in alchemy, which serves as an allegory throughout, both for meth manufacturing and for the kind of decompositional approach he takes. The book centers on a small group of people that Pine groups into ten "dramatis persona." Four...

Burn Injuries Resulting From Methamphetamine and Honey Oil Explosions: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

A high incidence of honey oil and methamphetamine production has led to an increase in burn victims presenting to this regional burn center in California. This study aims to compare patient outcomes resulting from burn injuries associated with honey oil and methamphetamine production. This is a retrospective cohort study using the regional burn registry to identify patients with burn injuries related to honey oil production or methamphetamine purification explosions from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2017. Patient demographics and clinical outcomes data were abstracted from the burn registry and medical records. A total of 91 patients were included in the final analysis and 59.3% (n = 54) were related to honey oil injury. There was no statistically significant difference between honey oil and methamphetamine burn injuries in regard to clinical outcomes, including mortality (1.9% vs 8.1%, P = .1588), third-degree burn (47.2% vs 59.5%, P = .2508), mechanical ventilator usage (50% vs 69.4%, P = .0714), median hospital length of stay (LOS; 10 vs 11 days, P = .5308), ICU LOS (10 vs 11 days, P = .1903), total burn surface area (26.5% vs 28.3%, P = .8313), and hospital charge (median of US$85,561 vs US$139,028, P = .7215). Honey oil burn injuries are associated with similar hospital LOS, similar ICU LOS, similar total burn surface area, and present a costly public health concern. With the recent legalization of marijuana in California, commercial production of honey oil in addition to increasing education about the risks of illicit honey oil production may alleviate associated risks.

“The times have changed, the dope has changed”: Women's cooking roles and gender performances in shake methamphetamine markets*

AbstractDrug markets are typically portrayed as male dominated, with men occupying the higher positions and women fulfilling the lower positions. Yet, the results of recent work highlight how women's participation and experiences in drug economies varies by the structure and organization of the specific market. We focus on the shake‐and‐bake (“shake”) methamphetamine (meth) market, which seems to have emerged mainly in response to legal attempts to curtail methamphetamine production. We explore how women adapt to structural changes and how they perform gender to navigate a market in which the focus is on personal consumption instead of on monetary gain. By relying on semistructured interviews with 40 women who cooked meth, we identify the gendered strategies they adopt and how these coincide with their position in the drug market. Cooking roles took three forms (partner, lead, and team), and each role was characterized by distinct patterns of gender performance and autonomy (emphasized femininity, matriarchal control, and gender neutral). We show that certain market conditions allow for increased participation among women in meth manufacturing. Yet, even within favorable conditions, variability remains in women's positions and gender performances. The findings highlight the role of organizational and legal context in shaping both the roles women adopt in drug markets and the ways they perform gender.

Criminalization and Drug “Wars” or Medicalization and Health “Epidemics”: How Race, Class, and Neoliberal Politics Influence Drug Laws

This essay argues that race and class influence drug laws through politicized means. Crack-cocaine and methamphetamine production, sales, and use were met with criminalizing efforts because of their respective association with African Americans and poor Whites, two groups that have been differentially identified as threatening to hegemonic power. Despite some similarities in criminalizing outcomes, specific reactions differed. Crack-cocaine’s publicized connection to violence resulted in extensive surveillance, arrest, and imprisonment. Attention surrounding methamphetamine, however, often linked the drug to safety hazards, including property explosions, physical distortions of users, and the pathology of un(der)employment. As a result, policing the methamphetamine problem increased detentions but not to the same extent as crack-cocaine. I contend that the current opioid “epidemic” has received more medicalized reactions due to opiate’s association to middle- and upper-class Whites—social groups that are traditionally protected. I conclude by proposing that despite nuanced and unique consequences of criminalizing and medicalizing responses, each reflects a neoliberalist agenda that seeks to diffuse social threat and reinforce prevailing inequalities.

Breaking Bad in Bourbon Country: Does Alcohol Prohibition Encourage Methamphetamine Production?

This article examines the influence of local alcohol prohibition on the prevalence of methamphetamine labs. Using multiple sources of data for counties in Kentucky, we compare various measures of meth manufacturing in wet, moist, and dry counties. Our preferred estimates address the endogeneity of local alcohol policies by exploiting differences in counties' religious compositions between the 1930s, when most local‐option votes took place, and recent years. Even controlling for current religious affiliations, religious composition following the end of national Prohibition strongly predicts current alcohol restrictions. We carefully examine the validity of our identifying assumptions, and consider identification under alternative assumptions. Our results suggest that the number of meth lab seizures in Kentucky would decrease by 35% if all counties became wet.

Transitioning illicit drug preferences and emerging user identities in Ohio: The proliferation of methamphetamine use among African Americans

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the social dynamics of local methamphetamine markets is critical to improving community health and reducing social costs associated with illicit drug use. We examine a local drug market in Summit County, Ohio, wherein methamphetamine users ascribe themselves different ethnic identities from those long associated with the drug elsewhere in the United States. Qualitative interviews with 52 study participants demonstrate that very poor and homeless White males and females are now using methamphetamine; however, even more surprising is that 31 of the participants identified themselves as poor or homeless, male or female African, Native, biracial, or multiracial Americans. The drug use trajectory of these 31 participants in particular involved a transition from a historical preference for crack to a present one for methamphetamine and, in some cases, a preference for concurrent use of methamphetamine and heroin. Many of these methamphetamine users also emphasized their ethnic identity to distinguish themselves as nonproducers of methamphetamine in comparison to Whites, who are commonly associated with methamphetamine production. Findings appear to suggest an emergent means of identity management resulting from the ethnic diversity of users in this methamphetamine market. These findings may have relevance in other communities with similar demographics and drug markets and may hold important implications for drug treatment, policy-making, and law enforcement professionals’ work associated with methamphetamine users, producers, and distributors.

Collection and analysis of fire debris evidence to detect methamphetamine, pseudoephedrine, and ignitable liquids in fire scenes at suspected clandestine laboratories

The “One Pot” methamphetamine production method uses highly reactive and flammable materials. Clandestine laboratories created using this method may lead to subsequent fires putting innocent bystanders at risk. In some jurisdictions, fires resulting from methamphetamine production may lead to first degree arson charges, which have much higher penalties than drug production charges. The ability to detect methamphetamine and precursors in fire debris provides necessary evidence to charge first degree arson. In this study, One Pot methamphetamine reactions were used to create mock residential fires. Debris samples were analyzed for ignitable liquids using passive headspace concentration and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was then used to detect methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine, the methamphetamine precursor, in the fire debris. Additionally, samples were provided to local law enforcement laboratories for standard drug analysis. This work demonstrates the positive identification of both ignitable liquids and the drugs/precursors from fires resulting from clandestine methamphetamine production.

Remediation of manufactured methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories. A literature review

The purpose of the current literature review was to identify, collect, review, and organize all available information concerning clandestine laboratories used to produce methamphetamine through an analysis of routinely collected data sources. There were numerous peer reviewed journals, electronic databases, websites, and commercial vendors relevant to the remediation process of methamphetamine laboratories. Our intention in this review was to produce background information as well as a reference guide relating to the critical problem of methamphetamine production nationally and internationally in addition to generating future research projects associated with the topic. This literature review determined there has not been a national standardized analytical method recognized as a reference guideline for the remediation of clandestine laboratories for production of methamphetamine.

Breaking Bad in Mississippi: Do County-Level Alcohol Sale Bans Encourage Crystal Methamphetamine Production and Consumption?

Abstract If alcohol has substitutes, changes in its relative price can encourage the production and consumption of other illicit and harmful drugs. This paper considers if county-level bans on the sale of alcohol in the state of Mississippi encourage the production and consumption of crystal methamphetamine. We estimate the parameters of a drug production function in which the inputs are the density of people and firms, underscoring the importance of learning and knowledge spillovers to production and consumption. Poisson and Negative Binomial parameter estimates reveal that county-level bans on hard liquor sales; but not on beer and wine, increase the number of crystal methamphetamine labs. In the absence of such laws, there would be approximately 308 fewer crystal methamphetamine labs in the state of Mississippi. Our findings suggest that in Mississippi, which is the least healthiest state in the nation, county-level bans on hard liquor sales are not welfare improving as they encourage substitution for a drug that is potentially more harmful to individual health than alcohol.