Meth
 Artist taking liberty. Meth and Kids
The flavored crystals are available in California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri and Minnesota, according to intelligence gathered by Drug Enforcement Administration agents from informants, users, local police and drug counselors. Meth, a highly addictive stimulant, is usually a white or brownish, bitter-tasting crystalline power that dissolves in water. It is usually smoked or snorted. Among the new flavors are strawberry, known as "Strawberry Quick", chocolate, cola and other sodas. One agent reported a red methamphetamine that had been marketed as a powdered form of an energy drink. Years ago a blue meth known as "Smurf dope" circulated in Missouri. It was nothing more than one of the loca lmeth cooks taking a great deal of pride in his purity. He ground up blue chalk to color it so he could market it as his. Strawberry Quick is popular among new
users who snort it because the flavoring can cut down on the
taste. Teenagers who have been taught meth is bad may see
this flavored version as less harmful.
The Emporia (Kan.) Gazette reported May 18 that reports of so-called "strawberry" meth originated in Carson City, Nev., where a police informant purchased pink meth from a dealer. "He purchased it. He brought it back to us and said the guy called it 'strawberry meth,'" said Sgt. Darrin Sloan of the city's Special Enforcement Team. "When I looked at it, I'd never seen anything like it. I don't know how they did it ... My own thoughts were, once this hits the streets, it's just more attractive to the kids." However, that was the only case of colored meth reported in Carson City. The report led to the Nevada Department of Public Safety issuing a statewide warning, which in turn was circulated nationally via e-mail. Reports of flavored meth then surfaced in Arkansas. But officials there later said that police who raided a meth lab only found packages of strawberry flavored drink mix in the trash. "What we're telling everybody is that this is not a problem in our area yet," said Chris Harrison of the Arkansas Crime Laboratory. "It has not been seen enough to really be considered any kind of trend. We just have some anecdotal evidence that it might be coming into Arkansas." "Drug dealers have consistently marketed their drugs any way they can, using flavorings and colors, different kinds of candies, ever since they've been selling drugs" Harrison added. "People think they're getting something new and they'll maybe be more likely to buy it from you rather than someone else." But Harrison added, "We've had a
couple of colored drugs but nothing that really seems to be
flavored."
|
