In spite of local law enforcement efforts to combat crime
stemming from methamphetamine abuse, officials say meth remains the
most used illegal substance in San Benito County and estimate more
than half the inmates in the county jail were arrested for
meth-related crimes.
Hollister – In spite of local law enforcement efforts to combat crime stemming from methamphetamine abuse, officials say meth remains the most used illegal substance in San Benito County and estimate more than half the inmates in the county jail were arrested for meth-related crimes.
The drug’s allure lies in a combination of the euphoric high that can last for up to 12 hours but only costs a dollar or two per hit. Mexican mob-run “super” labs in remote areas of the county have increased the accessibility to the drug, creating a market that spans all socio-economic and racial strata. The median age of meth users in the county is merely 16 years old and officials say 12-year-old addicts aren’t uncommon. And as younger and younger generations begin experimenting with the drug that has the same effect on a person’s brain as Alzheimer’s disease, some local officials believe meth could be taking marijuana’s place as the “gateway” drug that opens the door to more serious substance abuse.
Sheriff Curtis Hill said 70 percent of the adult jail population is incarcerated for some type of drug-related crime, and of that
three-fourths of it is methamphetamine-related. Whether someone committed an assault while high on meth or was arrested for burglary or theft to obtain money to buy the drug, about 53 percent of inmates are in jail due to methamphetamine, according to Hill’s estimate.
Hill said in his more than 20 years in law enforcement in the county, he’s seen several different drugs rise and fall. Meth or “speed” was prevalent in the 1970s, but fell by the wayside during the 1980s and early 1990s when cocaine ruled the drug scene. But in the mid 1990s, people found ways to manufacture methamphetamine without needing an extensive chemistry background to do it and it’s been climbing in popularity ever since, he said.
The form of methamphetamine most common in San Benito is crystal meth, which is a man-made illegal drug that affects the body’s central nervous system. Crystal meth is 90 percent pure and much more potent that methamphetamine, said Mark Colla, commander of the county’s Unified Narcotic Enforcement Team (UNET).
“Super” meth labs are labs that produce more than 10 pounds of meth per cook. Most labs in the county produce about 25 pounds per cook with a street value of $150,000. Each pound of meth produces about 7,200 doses, or hits, he said. One or two hits, most commonly smoked, can give someone a euphoric high for between 20 minutes to 12 hours, depending on their tolerance level. The more someone uses the more meth their body craves, and they need it more and more often, Colla said.
Colla said the task force confiscates crystal meth from about five super labs a year, but at least that many go undetected and their product is filtered into the county. Colla said 90 percent of the nation’s meth is made in California and manufacturers like to cook in rural communities because of the privacy it provides.
In San Benito County, the going street value for 1 gram of crystal meth is $25, which can get someone high 10 or 15 times, Colla said. That means someone can get high off one or two hits for between $1.50 to $2.50. This year UNET has hit three super labs and seized almost 5,700 grams of crystal meth in San Benito County and south Santa Clara County including Gilroy and Morgan Hill.
District Attorney John Sarsfield said his office only prosecuted 78 cases to date in 2004 for possession of methamphetamine, which constitutes about 3 to 4 percent of the approximately 2,500 cases prosecuted each year. However, those cases don’t include possession of meth paraphernalia, being under the influence of methamphetamine or committing a property crime to buy the drug. Sarsfield estimated 10 percent of the cases that pass through his office are meth related.
“It’s a significant impact (to the court),” Sarsfield said. “It’s hard to quantify, but either from the violation of the drug laws themselves or theft that follows from the use of addiction to drugs… it’s a big part of the caseload.”
Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller also said many crimes in Hollister are committed to fuel drug use. In 2003, Hollister police made 146 drug-related arrests (excluding marijuana-related arrests), and from January to September of this year 102 drug-related arrests were made.
One of Miller’s focal points has become the growing gang problem in Hollister, and he said drugs, and methamphetamine in particular, play into that scene.
Miller said gang members are using meth to prepare themselves to commit crimes, commit a crime to obtain the drug or transport and sell it to garner proceeds for the gang.
Because the drug often heightens user’s pain threshold and increases their proclivity for violence, meth also creates a greater risk for officers and suspects to be injured during a confrontation, Miller said.
“People do things they may not usually do,” he said. “People normally considered nice, law abiding citizens become someone they’re not (on meth).”
While crystal meth used to be dubbed the “poor man’s” cocaine, because of the prevalence and availability it now cuts across all socio-economic and racial demographics in San Benito, Miller said. Officials are also starting to see meth’s clutches dig into a younger population.
“It’s important for parents not to lose sight that their kids are exposed to this,” he said.
Head Probation Officer Deborah Botts said the median age of meth users is 15 or 16 years old, but it’s not uncommon for kids to start using at age 12 or 13. She said she’s noticed a trend that the younger users tend to be female, and are possibly getting the drug from older boys. But many young users have no problem obtaining the drug because nearby labs produce large quantities, and one of the most common sources is also close to home – their parents.
“It’s multi-generational – they’re getting into their parent’s stash,” Botts said. “The permissive attitude toward drug and alcohol use is a little higher (in San Benito) than in the rest of the state.”
Botts said a survey the department conducted showed 25 percent of seventh graders in the county have used drugs or alcohol, and that meth is becoming even more prevalent than pot for the younger generation.
While marijuana has been known for being the “gateway” drug to more serious drugs, Colla said the tide has turned and meth is starting to take its place.
“Years ago people weren’t exposed to it as much,” he said. “The average age of users seems to get younger and younger. It’s the information age and they (kids) can read stuff on a variety of illicit drugs over the Internet.”
Kids who surf the Web can even log on to sites with recipes to make meth, which is alarming considering what the drug is made of, Hill said. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, meth use can cause brain damage similar to that caused by Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and epilepsy. Brain damage can be detected just months after using the drug, and in chronic users can result in psychotic behavior including hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.
Makers of crystal meth in the county’s super labs most often have the supplies shipped to them from Mexico because a permit is needed to buy many of the raw chemicals, Colla said. Included in the recipe can be cold medicine (which has pseudoephedrine that creates the euphoric high), a chemical called red phosphorous found in matches and road flares, iodine, lye and a multitude of other toxic chemicals. When mixed together the chemicals create exothermic reactions – meaning they heat up by themselves – and can be explosive, Colla said.
However, online sites have step-by-step directions for anyone off the street using basic household items available at the local grocery or hardware store.
“It just goes on and on,” Hill said. “You get all these social impacts where it directly affects the entire community.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
