Meth: A growing problem

By DEBBIE KNOX Publisher/Editor dnox@campcountynow.com

There’s a reality amid all the talk of problems with methamphetamines and prescription drugs in this country. And the truth is it’s becoming more prevalent among teenagers 18 and younger. It’s not just in the United States, in other states, or just the cities, it’s right here at home in Camp County and Pittsburg. And law enforcement says it’s getting worse. There are several aspects of this problem that both Sheriff Alan McCandless and Pittsburg Police Chief Richard Penn agree on, and that is the drug problems are related to all the thefts and burglaries in our community. Additionally, Chief Penn says that people actually cook meth at their house. “We have found labs in town,” Chief Penn said. “You can actually cook methamphetamines at your house. In fact, you can make it in a two liter bottle; it’s called shake and bake.” “I think the majority of burglaries and thefts are basically drug related,” Sheriff McCandless said. “When we clear most of these cases, the people are addicted to drugs. They will also trade a television or gun – anything of value – for drugs.” In fact, the sheriff went on to say that some senior citizens who are on a fixed income will sell their medications to addicts on the street. The sheriff alluded to a case that was resolved a few months ago. “The case where we recovered 2,000 Xanax from a guy (that was in the paper a while back), he was bringing over 10,000 Xanax a month to Camp County. They refer to Xanax as (bars) because they look like ‘little bars’ of pills,” Sheriff McCandless said. “More sellers are selling meth to the poor guy on the street who is addicted. And more people are selling it than before so where they might have been paying $1,400 to $1,600 an ounce a few years ago, they’re paying $400 an ounce today. And, of course, they break it down and sell it by the ounce. There’s 28 grams in an ounce, so now they’re making a bigger profit.” Both law enforcement professionals agree there’s more money to be made by the sellers today compared to back in the 1990s. “The 90s produced a lot of great chemists. And in the 80s we had cocaine and then we had crack because they had to figure out how to take cocaine because they had to figure out a process that made cocaine more addictive - that you can ingest and it would become less expensive. It also made it more affordable. Cocaine happens naturally and you just have to refine the product,” Chief Penn said.

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