How large of a problem is meth in Washington?
“The production, transportation, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine” are the primary drug threat to the Pacific Region” (National Drug Intelligence Center [NDIC], 2005).
92.3% of law enforcement agencies in the region report that methamphetamine is the “greatest drug threat” in their jurisdictions. (National Drug Threat Survey, 2004).
Methamphetamine has impacted the entire Pacific Region, but Washington has been hardest hit with:
Nearly twice the number of methamphetamine labs reported than Oregon and exponentially more than Idaho and Alaska. (Reports of 951 labs, compared to 474 in Oregon, 67 in Alaska, and only 43 in Idaho just by the 3rd quarter of 2004) (Department of Ecology [DOE]).
The highest amount of Federal Drug Seizures of methamphetamine in the pacific region. (Federal Law Enforcement in 2003 seized 205.7 kilograms of methamphetamine in Washington, compared to 40.4 in Oregon, 78.0 in California, and 53.0 in Idaho) (NDIC, 2005).
Higher levels of availability of the drug resulting in lower prices than any other state (NDIC, 2005).