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Dangers, signs and consequences of meth use explained

posted 04/14/05
"Meth makes cocaine look like playdough," Coupeville Marshall Lenny Marlborough told islanders yesterday. He was invited by San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming to share information about methamphetamine. Increased crime, environmental damage and destroyed lifes are the result of meth use. By a two to one margin, meth is the drug of choice, according to Marlborough.

Cumming said San Juan County is not immune to the problem. Many assaults, domestic violence, identity theft, and burglaries in the county are related to meth use.

Marlborough said a user explained the lure to him. He said, "Imagine the best you've ever felt and multiply it a hundred times." The high lasts three to 12 days, Marlborough said, followed by a depressive state for the same length of time. To stop the depressive state and regain the high, more meth is taken.

The drug can be ingested, snorted, injected and smoked. The latest way to use it, is as a suppository. The drug appears in several forms. Compressed powder used to be the most common form, now it is most commonly in rock form. The term "ice" refers to a form that looks like chunks of ice. Some meth cooks are adding green food coloring to their ice to make it easy to discard if police show up. They toss it into the grass where it will be hard to find.

Meth users go through several phases during the two to 15 days the effect lasts. The initial rush lasts five to 10 minutes followed by a high lasting from four to 16 hours. During the high, the user is argumentative.

More info

Someone using meth appears very quick motored and is watching everything.

When users are tweaking, they can’t sit still and have a lot of nervous activity.Their pupils look blown out. They wear very dark sunglasses outside and often inside since the light hurts their evyes.

Other signs someone is using meth include:

sores on body
rotting teeth
accelerated aging
oily hair
thin sunken in look
over exaggerated or nervous behavior
violent behavior
paranoia

The chemicals in meth dissolve enamel on teeth.

Sweating, which puts toxins on the skin, can cause lesions.

Scratching "meth mites" can also lead to lesions. The user feels like something is on their skin and keep scratching.

The binge lasts three to 15 days. During that time the user is hyper and delusional. The most dangerous period as far as other people are concerned is the four to 24 day tweaking period, according to Marlborough. Users are irritable and paranoid. Many assaults, domestic violence, child abuse and other crime takes place during that time. The user then crashes. For one to seven days they are in a constant sleep as their body tries to recover.

Withdrawal lasts more than a month. The user is depressed, confused and has severe cravings for more of the drug. Marlborough said rehabilitation requires medical care.

The ingredients used to make the drug can be purchased over the counter. Restricting access to the precursors is one way to help control the problem, Marlborough said. Shopkeepers are urged to put products containing psuedoephedrine such as Sudafed behind the counter. That makes it more difficult for people to buy the large quanitities needed to make meth.

Other ingredients include solvents, books of matches, lye, rubbing alcohol. If someone sees these items dumped somewhere, they should contact law enforcement agencies. Meth dumps cause pollution of water resources. The chemicals run off into storm drains and into aquifers.

Signs of a meth lab include:

• chemical odors (think of dirty cat boxes or dirty baby diapers)
  
  
• frequent vistors at odd hour
  
  
• occupants who are unfriendly or appear secretive
  
  
• windows blackened or curtains drawn
  
  
• extensive security
  
  
• accumulation of garbage or empty containers
  
  
• evidence of chemical dumping includes dead spots on lawns dead spots
  
  
• abandoned projects

Cumming said, "We need a lot of help from community. The more you know the stronger we are." Anyone with information about meth labs or dump sites can call the sheriff's office at 360.378.4151.

Sheriff: Meth is tearing up the islands

posted 03/29/05
San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming's request for the addition of a full-time narcotics officer was not funded by the Board of County Commissioners during the 2005 budget process. He is working to make sure the position is created and funded in the next budget. "Meth (methamphetamine) is tearing up the islands," he said.

He told the Friday Harbor Town Council at their March 18, 2005 meeting, "I'm quite optimistc about the new commissisoners (Kevin Ranker and Alan Lichter). They understand prioritizing services."

Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):

Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected. The drug alters moods in different ways, depending on how it is taken. Immediately after smoking the drug or injecting it intravenously, the user experiences an intense rush that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Snorting or oral ingestion produces euphoria - a high but not an intense rush. Snorting produces effects within three to five minutes, and oral ingestion produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes.

...In the brain, dopamine plays an important role in the regulation of pleasure... Both the rush and the high are believed to result from the release of very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine into areas of the brain that regulate feelings of pleasure.

In the short term use of meth can cause:

• Increased attention and decreased fatigue
• Increased activity
• Decreased appetite
• Euphoria and rush
• Increased respiration
• Hyperthermia

Long-term effects can include:

• Dependence and addiction psychosis
• paranoia
• hallucinations
• mood disturbances
• repetitive motor activity
• Stroke
• Weight loss

Ultimately personal responsibility is the best deterrent, Cumming said. Educating the public about the dangers of the drug is important. "I'm going to talk to the store owners who sell" the over-the-counter products that are used in making meth.

Cumming will also be talking to the UPS drivers and other people who work in the field about what meth labs look like. "I am enlisting everybody I possibly can," he said.

Tips for lodging facility proprietors, according to the state Dept. of Health Web site are:

At registration, be aware of individuals who....

• Pay with cash
• Are local residents
• Have no photo identification
• Appear to be using drugs

Security and employee training...

• Require visitors to use main entrance
• Cancel lost keys immediately
• Perform daily room checks
• Walk halls and building perimeter
• Talk with nearby motels about suspicious individuals
• Know signs of drug-related behaviors
• Be aware of chemical odors

Tips for landlords according to the state Dept. of Health Web site include:

At the time of rental application...

• Ensure application is complete
• Conduct background checks:
• Rental history
• Credit report
• Employment history
• Criminal background
• Meet every adult and require picture identification
• Be aware of renter's appearance and behaviors

Visit property often and be aware of lab indicators...

• Blackened windows, drawn curtains
• Frequent visitors at all hours
• Paranoid, odd behavior of tenants
• Extensive security
• Excessive garbage specific to methamphetamine (meth) manufacturing
• Chemical odors

Anyone with information about possible meth labs is encouraged to call the sheriff's office at 378.4151.

Sheriff: county needs narcotics officer

posted 09/29/04
Citing the increase in use of methamphetamine in the county, Sheriff Bill Cumming asked the Board of County Commissioners to fund a new position - a narcotics officer. "If we let it (methamphetamine) get a toehold it will consume you. I'm asking you to let me do something about it."

He says the estimated $62,000 cost would be partially paid for by the Town of Friday Harbor. "They want to step away from traffic enforcement downtown," he said. "I said I was willing to do that. That gives $18,000." Cumming was referring to the traffic control workers who direct traffic during the summer during ferry unloading. The town, county and Washington State Ferries each pay Anchor Management $9,000 (total of $27,000). Friday, October 1, Cumming clarified that he meant to say: He hadn't spoken to the town yet, but would recommend to the town council and to the county commissioners that they use the traffic control funds to help pay for the narcotics officer.

The county commissioners indicated preliminary approval of the idea of adding a narcotics officer. The will consider the request during the budget process.

PREVIOUS STORIES

Press Release from County Health
and Community Services and the Sheriff's Office
Meth Labs:
Warning Signs, Dangers and Clean-up Costs

posted 03/09/01
As reported in recent articles, San Juan County experienced its first illegal methamphetamine (meth) operation earlier this year. Unfortunately this will probably not be our last. As a result, the San Juan County Sheriff Office and San Juan County Health and Community Services would like to provide the general public with some information about the dangers associated with meth labs, some of the warning signs and cost associated with cleaning up a lab.

Meth labs are serious health and safety risks and not just for the users. Individuals are advised not to enter a site they suspect may be used for cooking meth. Meth labs present extreme dangers from explosions, fire and exposure to hazardous chemicals. In addition, meth labs may also be booby-trapped.

People exposed to an active meth lab may experience shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, dizziness, lack of coordination, burns and even death. Individuals who enter a lab after a police bust, but before it has been properly cleaned and ventilated may feel headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.

Some of the common warning signs of a suspected meth lab include:

• Strong odor of solvents
  
  
• Residences or trailers with blacked out and/or taped up windows
  
  
• Collection of chemical bottles, hoses and pressurized cylinders. The cylinders can take many forms, from modified propane tanks, to fire extinguishers, scuba tanks, and soda dispensers.
  
  
• Empty cans of toluene, alcohol or paint thinner
  
  
• Increased activity, especially at night

Individuals who suspect an illegal drug operation should immediately leave the area and contact:

• the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office at 360. 378.4151 or
  
  
• >the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
  at 1-888-609-6384.

Illegal meth operations are not only extremely dangerous but are very costly to property owners as well. Property owners have lost structures to fire and have had to destroy personal property (i.e.: travel trailers and motor homes) due to excessive contamination.

The property owner is legally responsible for cleaning up the contamination left behind by a meth lab. Most clean-up operations require hiring a certified contractor to decontaminate the property. Costs for these services range from $1,500 to well over $5,000. In addition, fees ranging from $500 to $1000 may be assessed. Therefore, landlords and/or property management firms are advised to periodically inspect rental properties. One suggestion would be to collect the rent in person. Another would be to drop by monthly to check on the property.

Two brochures are available from San Juan County Health and Community Services that provide additional information on meth labs. The brochures are entitled "Is There a Meth Lab In My Neighborhood" and "Meth Bust; Now What?" Both brochures can be obtained by calling Health and Community Services at 360.378.4474. In addition, if you suspect a meth lab immediately contact the Sheriff’s Office at 360.378.4151.

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