Pubdate: Mon, 18 Jul 2005
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 2005 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspaper
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/198
Author: Robert Crowe
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH USE AND RELATED PROBLEMS ARE ON THE RISE

Property Crime, Domestic Violence Increased By Drug

When Montgomery County's drug court began in 1999, crack cocaine was 
the drug of choice for most people in the court-supervised 
rehabilitation program. But in the past two years, 
methamphetamine-related arrests have been increasing.

"Easily half of the people I interview for this program are in jail 
for meth use," said Rusty Smith, Montgomery County's drug court coordinator.

Said District Attorney Michael A. McDougal: "If it isn't our biggest 
drug problem, it's pretty close to the top."

Montgomery County's methamphetamine problem mirrors what's happening 
across the country. Nearly 60 percent of officials surveyed from 500 
counties nationwide said methamphetamine is their greatest drug 
problem, according to a recent report by the National Association of Counties.

The report found that meth use has caused spikes in property crime 
and domestic violence while also increasing the number of children 
placed in the custody of child protection agencies.

Also, about 88 percent of counties reported increases in meth-related 
arrests starting five years ago, and 50 percent reported that one in 
five inmates were incarcerated for meth-related crimes.

"This confirms that methamphetamine is an epidemic and a crisis out 
there in counties of all sizes," said Joe Dunn, a lobbyist for the 
National Association of Counties.

Forty-four Texas counties participated in the survey, but the Lone 
Star State was not mentioned as having a greater increase in 
meth-related arrests than other states.

Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida and Oregon, among others, reported large 
increases in meth-related arrests starting five years ago.

In the Houston area, however, officials in Montgomery, Harris, 
Chambers and Liberty counties are noticing a growing problem.

'More Popular Than Ever'

In Harris County, prosecutors haven't been able to quantify 
meth-related arrests, in part, because the county does not 
distinguish drugs by name in its records.

Sally Ring, head of the Harris County district attorney's office 
narcotics division, said meth does not pose a greater problem than 
cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

"(Methamphetamine) has sort of hit a speed bump when it comes to 
Harris County," she said. "In my opinion, this city is such a gateway 
for cocaine that it really overshadows the meth market."

Drug counselors and officers have a different view.

"It's more popular than ever," said Houston Police Department 
investigator Robert DiMambro, who works with the Texas Department of 
Public Safety's Methamphetamine Initiative Group, which shuts down 
100 to 120 crude meth labs every year in Harris and surrounding counties.

Beverly Garner, a drug counselor for Harris County's drug court, said 
she has noticed an increase in meth-related problems in the last two years.

One of the meth-related social issues gaining nationwide attention is 
the number of children taken from the drug users and makers.

Exposure To Children

Estella Olguin, spokeswoman for Harris County Child Protective 
Services, said case managers in Harris and surrounding counties have 
reported "a significant increase over the past two years in the 
number of meth-related allegations" involving parents investigated by 
the agency.

"As a matter of fact, they've been doing training with narcotics 
officers on how to make accurate assessments (of meth use) in the 
home," she said.

Olguin's agency has not tracked statistics related to meth use in the 
cases it works. But that will change this fall when a new law will 
require child protection agencies to log meth problems.

Lt. John Cash of the Montgomery County special investigations unit, 
which raids about 40 meth laboratories every year, said he has seen 
many meth labs in homes where children live. He said children are 
exposed to the hazardous chemicals used to make methamphetamine.

"Users become obsessed with the drug and lose all interest in their 
families, jobs and just any normal functions of life," said Cash.

In the rural areas of Chambers and Liberty counties, officials also 
have seen increases in meth-possession arrests and related crime.

"We have the diehard meth users strung out all the time and weekend 
warriors who do it on the weekends instead of drinking," said 
Chambers County Sheriff Joe LaRive.

Meth By Mail

Narcotics Sgt. Craig McCown of the Liberty County Sheriff's 
Department said the drug is being manufactured in small labs as well 
as shipped in by overnight mail.

"We have a big meth problem," McCown said. "Just the other day, I had 
one man walk out of jail then walk up to undercover officers to set 
up a meth deal."

Methamphetamine is a white substance made in powder and crystal form 
that can be snorted, smoked or injected. Drug enforcement officials 
say it is highly addictive because it offers an instant high that 
lasts for hours.

Meth finds its way to the streets through many channels, which 
include crude laboratories in which users cook up batches -- usually 
less than one pound -- by mixing pseudoephedrine-containing cold 
medication with household chemicals.

The majority of the drug in this country, according to the Drug 
Enforcement Administration, is manufactured by drug cartels in 
so-called "super labs" in Mexico and parts of California. About 30 
states, including Texas, have passed laws to curb the production in 
crude meth labs by limiting sales of over-the-counter 
pseudoephedrine-based cold medication. Texas' law starts Aug. 1.
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