History Suggests Meth Epidemic is Controllable

PORTLAND, Ore. – Methamphetamine-related emergency-room admissions and arrests fell sharply in the late-1990s due to international efforts to block imports of the chemical ingredients to the United States, reports the Portland Oregonian.

The article contradicts the belief that the meth epidemic is uncontrollable because the drug is cooked in home labs from easily-obtained ingredients. Instead, meth’s availability and potency spring largely from industrial crime operations that rely on a handful of factories manufacturing ephedrine, meth's active ingredient.

Just nine factories worldwide produce ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which are produced for over-the-counter cold and cough remedies. Over 18 months ending in 1995, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) worked with foreign officials to block or seize an estimated 200 tons of ephedrine in route to U.S. drug cartels.

The sudden spike in meth use in the early 90s coincided with the arrival of these meth cartels, which made more potent mixtures widely available, turning what had long been a West Coast biker fad into a nationwide epidemic. While many meth addicts learn to manufacture the drug themselves, the spread of meth to new users is largely attributed to the drug cartels that use legally manufactured ephedrine.

But unlike marijuana or cocaine producers, methamphetamine traffickers are dependent on a manufactured product and are therefore uniquely vulnerable to government pressure, the Oregonian reported in the Oct. 3 article. “In two periods – 1995-96 and 1998-99 – federal authorities interrupted the flow of chemicals to drug cartels. Each time, crime and addiction fell in tandem as the price of the drug rose,” writes reporter Steve Suo.

Meth abuse is particularly widespread in Oregon, which treats more people for meth addiction per capita than any state in the nation. In 16 states, more people are now in rehab for meth addiction than for cocaine or heroin, and jails across the country site meth abuse as a major factor in rising inmate populations.

The DEA spends $20 million annually to track the flow of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, compared to $700 million to eradicate cocoa plants in South America. The article suggests that a targeted approach in working with foreign suppliers could repeat earlier successes in limiting the meth supply. Only four countries have factories that manufacture ephedrine powder, Germany, the Czech Republic, India and China.