>> May
      4, 2001

      
Local police are learning to spot users,
      labs

      

      
By Morgan Winsor
      Special to the Argonaut

      
Oozing skin sores, protruding
      eyes, gaunt faces.

      


      These are just a few signs that someone is using methamphetamine,
      a powerful synthetic drug that attacks the nervous system, said
      Whitman County Sheriff Steve Tomson.

      


      Tomson, who also heads the Quad-Cities Drug Task Force, said
      other visible signs of a meth user are jaundice - yellowing -
      of the eyes, scores of hypodermic needle marks, pale skin and
      rotting teeth.

      


      "A hardcore meth user tends to be very emaciated,"
      Tomson said. "Their body looks weak and fragile."

      For about $80 a gram, meth - "Speed," "Crank,"
      "Zip," "Go-fast," "Chalk," "Crystal,"
      "Cristy," - can be cut up and snorted, smoked, melted
      and injected, and even eaten, said Dr. Bill Robinson, medical
      director for the Washington Poison Control Center in Seattle.

      


      The drug contains dopamine, a natural chemical the body produces
      that causes a person to get pleasure in social interaction. Dopamine
      makes a person feel their life is meaningful, that they are special,
      Robinson said.

      


      Methamphetamine was created in the early 1900s and is the child
      of amphetamine, a drug originally used in nasal decongestants
      and bronchial inhalers. Amphetamine is also used to treat narcolepsy
      and obesity.

      


      Other ingredients used to make meth are battery acid, lye, lantern
      fuel, antifreeze and phosphorous. "Over-the-counter ingredients,"
      Tomson said.

      


      Tomson said that many of the chemicals used to make meth rot
      teeth, cause acne-like breakouts on the face and often tend to
      make a person's eyes bulge out. Meth users often begin losing
      hair and have sores on their skin. Heavy meth users often take
      on "a more aged appearance," he added.

      


      "Someone in their early 20s can look in their late 40s,
      sometimes 50s," Tomson said. "The body is constantly
      trying to flush out the poisonous chemicals, and it shows."

      


      Tomson said recognizing a meth user is not always easy, especially
      if the person is wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants to cover
      needle marks. He said a meth user usually is identified while
      on a binge, using the drug for an extensive amount of time.

      


      Meth users often behave bizarrely, he said. They become erratic,
      edgy, paranoid and nervous.

      Whitman County Sheriff Detective Pat Kelley said while patrolling
      streets he can easily spot a driver under the influence of meth.

      


      While operating vehicles, meth users drive much slower than the
      speed limit, tend to be more cautious, constantly check their
      rearview mirror, turn on signals long before making a turn and
      slow down at green lights, Kelley said.

      


      Kelley calls a person who is heavily under the influence of meth
      "a tweaker."

      


      As a member of the drug task force, Tomson said Kelley is a key
      player in the war against methamphetamine. It's not unusual for
      Kelley to be the first person to storm through the locked doors
      of a home used for manufacturing meth.

      


      Kelley said several signs indicate that a house is being used
      as a meth lab: the windows are always covered, several broken
      down cars are parked on the lawn and household appliances disassembled
      and scattered outside.

      


      "Tweakers like to tinker with things," Kelley explained.
      "And when they go on a binge and tinker, they often tend
      to take things apart, even if they are not broken."

      


      Some "tinker toys" commonly seen scattered outside
      of a house used to make meth are microwaves, toasters, radios,
      propane tanks, televisions and blenders, Kelley said.

      


      Tomson said the larger meth labs are becoming scarce around the
      Palouse and that smaller labs are becoming more of a concern.
      "Small meth labs are more difficult to spot," Kelley
      said. "They are easier to hide them from the public eye.
      It's the big labs that aren't easy to cover up."
 

      
news | opinion | arts | sports&leisure
contact us | ui | front | archives