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Hate to burst the TimesDaily's little bubble, but the Office of the National Drug Control Policy (WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov) has TWO press releases that indicate Crystal Meth use is DOWN.


Press Release
Copy & Paste LINK to: WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov/news/press08/031208.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
CONTACT: Jennifer de Vallance
(202) 395–6648 / (202) 368–8422 cell

METHAMPHETAMINE, COCAINE USE PLUMMET; NEW WORKPLACE DRUG TESTING DATA SHOW EFFECTS OF SUPPLY CRUNCH RELATED RESOURCE

(Washington, DC)—John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy, today highlighted new data showing significant reductions in meth and cocaine positivity rates in the American workforce, as well as continued disruptions in the supply of both drugs.

"Quest Diagnostics, the largest provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services conducts employer drug testing services throughout the Nation, and their DTI, a summary of workplace drug tests, is an indicator of national drug use trends. The latest findings are based on results from more than 6.6 million general workforce drug tests performed by Quest Diagnostics across the United States in 2007. These general workforce drug tests, added to the federally-mandated safety-sensitive workforce tests, sum to an annual total of 8.4 million combined U.S. workforce tests in 2007."


Further, illicit shipments from South of the border (in Mexico), are down, as are the primary ingredients from which its made.


PRESS RELEASE:
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
Copy & Paste LINK to: WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov/news/press08/030608.html
CONTACT: Jennifer de Vallance
(202) 395–6648 / (202) 368–8422

U.S. HIGHLIGHTS LATEST INTERNATIONAL PROGRESS AGAINST METHAMPHETAMINE;
URGES VULNERABLE NATIONS TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO CURB TRAFFICKING OF PRECURSOR CHEMICALS

(Washington, D.C.)—The U.S. Deputy Drug Czar, Scott Burns, announced today that Mexico has made monumental strides to disrupt the methamphetamine precursor chemical trade, and is making a direct and significant impact on trafficking of finished meth into the United States. Mexico, under the leadership of President Calderon, has drastically reduced the amount of imports of methamphetamine precursors in 2007, and has ceased to issue import permits for key meth precursor chemicals. Sellers of products containing meth precursors must deplete their remaining supplies by 2009. Estimates indicate that the Mexican precursor control efforts have already contributed to a nearly 50 percent decrease in meth seizures along the U.S. Southwest border."


Dang! Now they're going to have to print a retraction!

But, I betcha' they won't do it!

What about doing some investigative and series feature reporting on something useful... like Drug Court, and how they have helped change lives of former users?!

Well?

What about it TD editors?
Original Post

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Trends for illicit Meth use are DOWN!
(These are the most recent statistics.)

National Survey on Drug Use and Health

DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov/2k7/meth/meth.htm
Methamphetamine Use
January 26, 2007
In Brief

# Methamphetamine use in the past year among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older declined overall between 2002 and 2005

# Combined data from 2002 to 2005 indicate that persons in the West (1.2 percent) were more likely to have used methamphetamine in the past year than persons in the Midwest (0.5 percent), South (0.5 percent), and Northeast (0.1 percent); these findings were consistent for both females and males

# The number of recent methamphetamine initiates (i.e., persons who used methamphetamine for the first time in the 12 months before the survey) remained relatively stable between 2002 and 2004, but decreased between 2004 and 2005 (318,000 and 192,000 persons respectively)

Again, let's get a perspective on this issue.

State Estimates of Past Year Methamphetamine Use
Issue 37
2006
Figure 1 Table
"Percentages of Persons Aged 12 or Older Reporting Past Year Methamphetamine Use, by State: 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005"

"Alabama - 0.84 percent"

DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov/2k6/stateMeth/stateMeth.htm

That's LESS THAN one percent.

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) estimates that in 2006, Methamphetamine-related visits to Emergency Departments were an estimated 79, 924 out of a total of 1,742,887 drug-related visits for 15 illicit drugs. Crystal Meth was ranked in the middle. Figures for Meth ranged from 40,653-119,194. Cocaine, Heroin and Marijuana were the top three.

But here's a kick in the head... almost as many people came in for treatment for acetamenophen (44,314) and Ibuprofen (20,541) combined, as came for crystal meth!

Add caffeine (4,407), Naproxen (6,651), antihistamines (4,130) and cough syrups (2,125) and you're already over the top! And, those are all non-prescription items! Why, even good ol' Benadryl accounted for 12,291 visits!

ref: DAWNInfo.samhsa.gov/files/ED2006/DAWN2k6ED.htm#Tab2

... and we haven't even begun to scratch the surface with booze!

Do I believe in treatment for people with drug abuse problems? ABSOLUTELY!

Has the TimesDaily blown things out of proportion?

You do the math.

VERIFIABLE government health research statistics are supplied.
Nationally, crystal meth is a problem. But to what extent?

It's use is TRENDING DOWN NATIONALLY.

Mississippi had 137 meth lab busts from federal (DEA) state and local agencies.
ref: usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/mississippi.html

Alabama had 127.

"Methamphetamine production in the state has seen a substantial decrease..."

"...the most significant threat in Alabama as Mexican DTOs..." (Drug Trafficking Organizations)

"The number of methamphetamine labs seized in 2005 was approximately 20% fewer than in 2004."

ref: USDOJ.gov/dea/pubs/states/alabama.html

Meth lab busts are trending DOWN in Alabama.

BUT... do you eat at Mexican restaurants?

"Money Laundering: Money laundering continues to pose a threat in Alabama, especially in Birmingham and Montgomery. The most obvious businesses utilized are used car lots and Mexican restaurants. These businesses tend to be cash-intensive and lend well to the laundering of illegal proceeds from illicit drug trafficking."
From the National Methamphetamine Threat Assessment 2008
Published December 2007
Document ID: 2007-Q0317-006

Q: What is the GREATEST drug threat in the Southeast Region as reported by State and Local Agencies (according to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Region)?

A: Cocaine. Methamphetamine is ranked second. (Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.)

Mexico is the primary source for ice methamphetamine available in the Southwest Region as well as in the rest of the United States. According to law enforcement reporting, Mexican DTO-produced methamphetamine accounts for approximately two-thirds of the ice methamphetamine abused in the United States, most of which is smuggled into the country across the U.S.-Mexico border.

ref: usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs26/26594/ocdetf.htm#SE

DTO - Drug Trafficking Organization

How much does Crystal Methamphetamine cost in Alabama?
usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs26/26594/appendc.htm#start

"The percentage of law enforcement agencies reporting methamphetamine as their greatest drug threat declined yearly between 2004 and 2007; during that time the percentage of state and local law enforcement agencies reporting cocaine as their greatest drug threat increased overall.
Chart 4. Greatest Drug Threat: Percentage of State and Local Agencies Reporting

Source: National Drug Threat Surveys 2002 through 2007."

Chart 3. Number of Reported Methamphetamine Laboratory Seizures, 2002-2007

Methamphetamine laboratory seizures in the United States have decreased dramatically since 2004.
Source: National Seizure System. *Data as of November 21, 2007.

Chart 1. Commercial Pseudoephedrine Imports to Mexico, in Metric Tons, 2004-2006

Source: United Nations.
these numbers are just as ALL government stats,they mean absolutely nothing. Simply numbers that makes those in whatever position creating them feel like they have earned my tax dollars for their job. Get out of the computer,or books,and ramble in the community,you will see for yourself how well those numbers ACTUALLY reflect what is going on in the Shoals area.ZERO reflection to this area.
Try just taking a look at TD reports of arrests,90% drug related,AND I have been told by a local LEO,of those around 80% are METH related.
Personally I could not possibly care less what is happening elsewhere,UNTIL we can get a reasonable control on the drugs HERE IN OUR OWN AREA.It is OUR young people falling prey to this and other drugs,although meth is the main problem the law enforcement is have the battle with here.
So post all the graphs,statistics,numbers,etc you want. Its folks like you with this attitude that are CREATING a huge stumbling block,afterall thats the Mayberry mentality.
Statistics from: Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center
ref: acjic.alabama.gov/crime.cfm#cia

- In 2007, in Lauderdale county, Alabama there were 236 adult arrests for possession, and 1 adult arrest for sale. There were no juvenile arrests for either category.

The adult was one marijuana sale arrest. There were no cocaine, other, or synthetics sale-related arrests for adults in Lauderdale county.

Adult possession arrests were broken down opium/cocaine-4 marijuana-231 synthetic-1 other-0

There were 14 marijuana possession arrests for juveniles in Lauderdale county in 2007. No other categories had arrests.

In 1998, there were 190 adult possession arrests, and 2 adult sale arrests, and 15 juvenile possession arrests.

Of the 190 adult possession arrests, 24 were for opium/cocaine, 139 for marijuana, 24 for synthetic, and 3 for other.

Of the juvenile possession arrests, 5 were for opium/cocaine, and 10 were for marijuana.
Drug Abuse Violations are Category II crimes (non-violent crimes, for federal purposes), and Alabama divides illegal drugs into four categories.

1- Opium & morphine derivatives; and cocaine/crack
2 - Marijuana
3 - Synthetic narcotics
4 - Non-narcotics, including barbiturates, amphetamines & methamphetamine

Category 1 - Sale
808 adults + 6 juveniles = 814

Category 2 - Sale
167 adults + 5 juveniles = 172

Category 3 - Sale
197 adults + 5 juveniles = 202

Category 4 - Sale
470 adults + 5 juveniles = 475 arrests


Category 1 - Possession
4,823 adults + 142 juveniles = 4,965

Category 2 - Possession
9,386 adults + 855 juveniles = 10,241

Category 3 - Possession
1,116 adults + 31 juveniles = 1,147

Category 4 - Possession
898 adults + 16 juveniles = 914


Arrests for Category 4 possession by year;
2003 - 743
2004 - 993
2005 - 1,070
2006 - 629
2007 - 914

ref: acjic.alabama.gov/cia/2007_cia.pdf
Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center - Crime Statistics
There is more Crystal Methamphetamine coming across our border with Mexico -by the tractor trailer truck-loads- than there is being "home-brewed" by a bunch of redneck, ignoramus, strung-out dope fiends from backwoods Alabama.

(Facts-n-figures provided by federal authorities, and with which local authorities agree.)

Big whoop!

Sixty-three people.

Even if it was 123 people arrested (if both numbers should have been added), that's one person every three days.

Florence PD writes more MOVING VIOLATION tickets than that in ONE DAY!

Now THERE'S an epidemic!

Let's get things in proportion here!

Gasoline is "relatively cheap and readily available." Maybe that makes it also "doubly dangerous"!

The idiot that wrote that piece of editorial drivel should have done their freakin' homework and provided statistics from an independent source!

How about the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department or the District Attorney's Office for starters? They have arrest statistics and they provide them to the state... which I've already posted.

The point is, the TimesDaily didn't do their homework!

Instead, the TimesDaily cited themselves as an independent authority, writing that "anyone who doubts" should, "look no further than Saturday's edition of the TimesDaily."

If I want facts & figures on drug arrests, then by golly, I'll go the AUTHORITIES. That would be Law Enforcement.

To put it in colloquial terms, the TimesDaily pee-peed on your leg, and told you it was raining.
Oh... and their choice of words to describe the problem was "epidemic."

Anyone with third grade computer skills can find the definition of "EPIDEMIC, which means "a disease that quickly and severely affects a large number of people and then subsides is an epidemic."

"...(especially of medicine) of disease or anything resembling a disease; attacking or affecting many individuals in a community or a population"

"Widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population..."

"a disease that spreads rapidly through a demographic segment of the human population, such as everyone in a given geographic area..." (from UABHealth.org)

"The relatively rapid spread of a disease to large numbers of a population..."

Oh yeah... in order for methamphetamine to be an "epidemic," at least 10% or more of the Shoals area would have be smoking it!

Wait, wait!

Maybe the TimesDaily writers have been smoking crack or crystal meth! After all, they obviously don't know the meaning of words, their proper use, or how to look up statistics from AUTHORITIES!

Yeah... it's epidemic alright, but only at the TimesDaily!
Ummm Perhaps the usage is down because the AWARENESS is Up. I don't care if it's just one person cooking the crap. It's ONE person TOO MANY!!

Wonder where the stats are on the children they have taken out of these homes? What there health is like?

Perhaps this is why the TD reported it AS IS:

Link

And yes Alabama usually is one of the last states to pick up ANY trends.

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