THE METH EPIDEMIC


The 2002-2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) meth results state Wyoming had the 2nd highest overall use rate, the 3rd highest use rate for youth ages 12 – 17, and the highest use rate for young adults ages 18-25

Higher rates of past year methamphetamine use were found in the West (1.2%) than in the Midwest (0.5%), South (0.5%) and Northeast (0.1%) for the total population aged 12 or older.  

Rates of past year methamphetamine use among persons aged 12 or older were among the highest in Nevada (2.0 percent), Montana (1.5 percent), and Wyoming (1.5 percent), and among the lowest in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York (approximately 0.1 percent)

Rates of past year methamphetamine use among young adults aged 18 to 25 were among the highest in Wyoming (4.6 percent), Arkansas (4.4 percent), Minnesota (3.8 percent), and Nevada (3.8 percent), and among the lowest in New York (0.3 percent), Connecticut (0.4 percent), and Vermont (0.4 percent)

Young adults aged 18 to 25 were more likely to use methamphetamine in the past year (1.6 percent) than youths aged 12 to 17 (0.7 percent) and adults aged 26 or older (0.4 percent)   *Information taken from NSDUH report  

During the later part of 2008 and continuing into 2009, methamphetamine has rebounded in Wyoming.  And with this rebound the purity of the methamphetamine has increased.  In prior years, the purity of methamphetamine seized was <85% pure.  During this upsurge, WYDCI has seized methamphetamine with purity levels >95% with a recent seizure reaching 100% pure methamphetamine. 

This increase in the purity level reaffirms that the manufacturing methods are being perfected and the methamphetamine seized has come from super labs most likely located in Mexico and or California.

It is believed that The Mexican cartels have re-established shipping routes from India and China to receive bulk shipment of ephedrine.   *Information taken from Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation