Police issue warning on spread of crystal meth (UK)

[Lunar Loops]

Strange quote at the end about finding crystal meth in people who think they have been taking cocaine or heroin.

This from The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Stor...997972,00.html) :
Police issue warning on spread of crystal meth
Matthew Taylor
Thursday January 25, 2007
The Guardian



Methamphetamine, or crystal meth, the highly addictive drug prevalent across the US and Australia, is present in almost every town and city in England and Wales, according to an internal police report.
The study, for the Association of Chief Police Officers, has found that the drug, which was upgraded to a class A substance last week, is being produced, sold or used in every area of the UK except Scotland.
It also found increasing levels of crystal meth turning up in other drugs - notably heroin and cocaine - meaning some people were taking it without knowing.
Victoria Machin, secretary to Acpo's national methamphetamine working group, which produced the study, said: "We have found clear evidence of meth production, distribution or use right across the country."
She said the numbers involved remained small, although she added that it was difficult to get an accurate picture as some people did not realise they were taking the drug. "Drug users who are thinking 'This crack is good' are sometimes taking crystal meth; that's the information we are getting off the street and that seems to be the way it is creeping into the system."
The drug produces a high similar to crack cocaine, although it can last up to 12 hours when it is smoked or injected. Experts say its physical and psychological effects are more damaging. It was once confined to the gay club scene and regular users of other hard drugs, but there are fears it is becoming more mainstream.
Crystal meth's other street names include ice and Nazi crank, based on reports that Hitler was a user. In parts of the US it is now more popular than heroin or cocaine - the number of illegal "meth labs" went from 3,800 in 1998 to 10,200 in 2003.
In March last year the United Nations' drug control agency, the International Narcotics Control Board, said crystal meth was becoming a global problem. It said the extent of the drug's use in Britain had been obscured by the fact that statistics on seizures and arrests were lumped in with amphetamines. The two drugs are related, but crystal meth is more potent and is made easily in small labs with over-the-counter drugs and household products.
Metropolitan police commander Simon Bray, who leads Acpo's work on methamphetamine, said: "What we are finding now is that crystal meth is being found in people who think they are taking cocaine or heroin ... In a pilot scheme recently where those arrested were tested for the substance 4% were found to be positive. "We approached one [police] force who assured us they did not have a crystal meth problem in their area. After we had given them more information about the drug it emerged that there were in fact two or three towns where crystal meth was readily available."

[Nagognog2]

Originally Posted by shroomonger

Metropolitan police commander Simon Bray, who leads Acpo's work on methamphetamine, said: "What we are finding now is that crystal meth is being found in people who think they are taking cocaine or heroin ... In a pilot scheme recently where those arrested were tested for the substance 4% were found to be positive. "We approached one [police] force who assured us they did not have a crystal meth problem in their area. After we had given them more information about the drug it emerged that there were in fact two or three towns where crystal meth was readily available."

Such should be taken with a grain of salt. The street-level tests commonly available will give a positive for everything from meth to house-paint to laundry detergent.

[kreation]

i am certainly worried about meth spreading to the UK like it has spread in the US we could be looking at a real meth problem in a few years, for the moment as that report states, its only used marginally in comparison to other drugs available in the UK.

but it certainly messes up communities to a greater extent then most other drugs and theres already a labour shortage as it is

[Jatelka]

The warnings about the spread of crystal meth have been trotted out regularly for the last 5 years: It hasn't happened.

The theory is: Cocaine is so cheap (relatively) in the UK that there's little market for meth.

[smark]

Originally Posted by Jatelka

The warnings about the spread of crystal meth have been trotted out regularly for the last 5 years: It hasn't happened.

The theory is: Cocaine is so cheap (relatively) in the UK that there's little market for meth.

SWIM first encountered meth in Scotland around 7 years ago, being produced by someone who learned in america. SWIM knows prices arent allowed to be posted so heres a sum 2x15x2= what a g was selling for. SWIM recently heard in Edinburgh meth can be sold for 5x10x4!!!

SWIM has discovered that although meth is fairly uncommon it wil be more common among amph users in the future, theres just not enough people with knowledge to produce meth, ingriedents,equipment and instructions are quite easy to get. Where SWIM lives meth is easily available and generally mass produced in eastern europe/russia in large labs or made by kitchen cooks as where swim is, heroin,coke,speed,e are hard to find and expensive. Meth is expensive but not compared to coke.

SWIM also agrees that the now increased supply of coke in the U.K is part of the reason meth isnt really known but thinks that will change. Since SWIM started using drugs prices are at least 40% less today than back then, the U.K is one of the cheapest countries in Europe now for a lot of suff depending where you are.

SWIM pays at least double the uk prices for stuff as where swim is drug laws are very strict but if swim was to drive 300km/160miles he would pay at least a 3rd less.

There was also a report in an Irish paper about meth use in Germany as notes were disintegrating and no one knew why until the were tested and found that meth was to Blame. It also said that Spanish notes were the worst for cocaine, i agree i lived there and coke is cheap,everywhere and is probably the 2nd most used drug out there apart from dope. The spanish love their coke and weed like Britain is largely E and H (ok theres lots of arguments for speed and coke instead of H but H is everywhere and easier to score than coke, just head to the nearest trainstation/town centre and find a junkie)

SWIM has heard from friends its becoming popular in Scotland as its a long lasting high which keeps you awake, perfect for the weekends when you dont want to crash. The more media coverage the more intrest people will take in asking and looking for it and once a supply or market opens up then the streets will be flooded with the stuff.

SWIM advises you to keep away from the stuff

[English_T]

Since the media has been putting out all these 'shock stories', the amount of people who are now interested has shot up! IT's crazy, most Britains had not heard of meth until it was on the news and in the papers - this then created an interest which wasn't there before. I used to use H and crack regularly (am totally clean now and have been for 5 months) and my dealer said he was being asked for it all the time since it had been in the news. It was here for a year in 77-78 or 76 - 77..around then anyway, there was a sulphate shortage and according to police documents there was an influx of meth.

I don't think it will catch on here. What IS stupid is that they have now agreed to half the size of the packs of pseudoephedrine to counteract any production in bulk...Fact is, it is now cheaper to buy amphetamine sulphate than it is to buy PSE!!!!
Amphetamine is real cheap and always has been, I think that will keep MA off of the streets...price.

[FuBai]

It's what crack was in the 80's. It is certainly a worry drug, which means that we need to get legalisation so we can control it's spread, record users, heavily advertise against it etc.

[English_T]

I had experience of it many years ago whilst in the Far East (Japan) and it is a drug which burns you out but also has real potential to cause psychosis. Two friends of mine were badly affected by it through daily IV use, one of whom is still, after many years now, care of a psychiatric unit (he had his own business prior to that but was a quiet, 'insular' guy with 'potential' to be easily affected); however, my other friend was a solid guy, confident, popular, girls each day as the co-owner of a bar and yet he developed a wierd 'flinch' and paranoia - he was helped by friends to his parents house in the country and took 2 years for him to recover.

At this point, advertising against meth would do more to promote it more than anything. At the moment while their is only a miniscule amount of use, in reality, it is best not too mention it. As soon as people hear about it, good or bad, they will want to try it. This is exactly what happened when it was on the news at the beginning of the year -EVERYONE wanted it.