Crystal Meth Makes its Way to the US: Rising Drug Risks

The Rise of Super Meth Labs in Mexico and Beyond

There are several chief risks to cooking crystal meth. Many methamphetamine cooks produce the drug in makeshift labs outside western Mexican farming towns. The risks include getting arrested, being killed by a rival gang over the product, inhaling toxic fumes, and blowing yourself up during manufacture with the highly volatile chemicals involved.

Unfortunately, many of these individuals, mainly deportees, make a living cooking crystal methamphetamine. Instead of scraping by making a little money in menial jobs, they see meth as a surefire way to earn real cash. Keep reading to find out about this rising drug menace in the US!

Production of Crystal Meth at Enormous Levels

There are thousands of meth cooks-for-hire who help thrust Mexican production of meth to enormous levels. In 2012, the United States Border Patrol sequestered a whopping 3,771 pounds of the hyper stimulant at the Mexican border; this is more than two times the 1,838 pounds it sequestered in the fiscal year of 2011.

How it works is that border patrol agents swipe the drugs from smugglers making an attempt to slip between the entry ports. In the meantime, custom officials sequester even more of the hyper stimulant at border bridges. In the San Diego section of the border last year, customs agents took an enormous 14,732 pounds of methamphetamine. That makes 34,840 pounds of meth at the border of Mexico. We are talking about 17 tons, or a combined weight of seven midsize sport utility vehicles.

Meth Traffickers Have Achieved Thriving Production

Traffickers in Mexico have achieved this thriving production of methamphetamine by adapting their laboratories, swapping recipes, and discovering new sources of precursor ingredients.

The smugglers entice crystal meth users across the United States. They take the hyper stimulant to enjoy parties, work extended hours, and, of course, feed meth addictions. Methamphetamine can be snorted, smoked, taken orally, or injected and meth often looks crystalline in appearance, hence its nickname. Long-term users can risk serious permanent damage to their brains, lungs, or kidneys. They may even suffer from epidemic tooth decay and severe gum disease.

One of the largest markets is in California, with demand coming from folks who are not even ‘California sober.’ Each pound of methamphetamine sells for $10,000 to $15,000; the hyper stimulant is worth twice that (or even more) in other parts of the nation.

We cannot ignore the dangers of using methamphetamine. When meth addicts use crystal meth repeatedly, the hyper stimulant can actually change the brain chemistry, as well as damage the wiring in the pleasure centers of the brain. This makes it progressively difficult to experience any type of pleasure. Although research has revealed that these tissues can replenish over time, the entire process can take years; the repair may never be fulfilled.

If you or someone you know needs help with methamphetamine abuse Find Addiction Rehabs is here to help. Call anytime 7 days a week 24 hours a day.

Meth Overdose and the Silent Epidemic

Overlooked in the headlines made by fentanyl and opioid overdose statistics has been an equally disturbing trend of methamphetamine overdoses. While some states have tried to show the dangers of meth with meme-related campaigns that highlight its risks, overall the impact has barely made a dent in consumer demand for the drug pouring into the United States.

If you or a loved one are struggling with meth, please review our resources on the matter and educate yourself, never use alone, and do your best to keep yourself (and your loved ones) alive until you’re ready to get treatment for the underlying causes of your substance abuse. With the development of ‘super meth’ in huge Mexican labs, and the spread of fentanyl, it is truly a dangerous time to be actively using this dangerous drug.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our dedicated team of recovery representatives when you are ready to get treatment options nationwide!