Vol. 3, No. 8
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February 15, 2006
Nevada's Online State News Journal
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Feature Story:
Meth, On Everyone's "A" List, But Ecstasy Right Alongside
Calls For Congressional Action Continue; Nevada's Chanos Among AGs On Record
by Johnny Gunn
While Nevada's law enforcement departments continue the fight, it looks like they might finally get a little help from Washington. Nevada Attorney General George Chanos along with the other 49 Attorneys General has signed a resolution calling for the adoption of a national methamphetamine law. "Nevada ranked among the top third of states for methamphetamine use," Chanos said, quoting figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For that complete report, go to http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/25k/meth/meth.htm.
A national meth law was close to passage at the last congressional session but got all tangled up in the Patriot Act debates and was never acted upon. The 50 Attorneys General are calling for passage as congress has returned. "Methamphetamine use is a growing problem both in Nevada and across the country," said Chanos in a prepared statement. "We must take this issue head on both on the federal government level as well as the state government level."
The resolution was originally adopted in the summer of 2005 and has now been sent to congress in their current session. A letter outlining the resolution and a copy of the resolution was sent to congressional leaders during the last week of January according to Chanos.
In some areas of the country if one should drop a marijuana seed or two, sprouts will show up almost overnight. Methamphetamine is almost as easy to come by. Manufacturing in dwellings is common according to police sources, and the manufacturing ingredients are as available as your nearest drug store. You don't have to be a chemist, said one narcotics officer, what you have to be is a shopper.
The federal legislation that is being proposed would put limits on certain cough medicines, prime ingredients for the drug. According to Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials Sudafed, NyQuil, and Benadryl are most often the medicines purchased for the manufacture of meth. Because of the crackdown on meth supplies, super-sites are coming into play, some in Mexico, some in Europe. In 2003 125 meth labs were found and put out of business in Nevada alone.
According to Washoe County Undersheriff Mike Haley, "We had 917 arrests last year with the first charge being methamphetamine." Haley spoke to supporters as he announced his candidacy for Washoe County Sheriff. Speaking at the California Building in Reno, Haley said, "The problem with methamphetamine is it is so addictive." Health officials back up that statement by saying that often one becomes seriously addicted after just one episode on the drug.
Along with international gangs, local chapters of major gangs help manufacture and distribute the drug. Gangs operating in Nevada, and there are some 6,000 gang members in Clark County alone according to Sheriff Bill Young, are Crips, Bloods, 311 Boyz, Hells Angels, La Cosa Nostra, and probably others whose names are not as recognizable. The National Criminal Justice Reference Service believes the number of gang members in Clark County to be closer to 7,000 and that there are more than 300 actual gangs operating in Nevada's most populous county. For more on this go to http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.
While there are many drugs available throughout the Silver State police and health officials fear the spread of meth more than any other. According to DEA information chronic meth abuse can result in inflammation of the heart lining and for those that inject the drug, damaged blood vessels and skin abscesses. It's the social and occupational consequences that destroy so many lives including non-users that either live or work closely with abusers.
"It's a progressive deterioration that leads to social disgrace," according to the White House office on drugs. According to most health officials, meth is one of the drugs that is almost impossible to use as a weekend source for a "high." "Research has shown," the White House web site said, "that as much as 50 percent of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain can be damaged by prolonged exposure to relatively low levels of meth." They go on to say that "serotonin-containing nerve cells may be damaged even more extensively.
An intense rush is felt almost immediately on taking a meth hit, according to health officials, which results from the release of high levels of dopamine into the brain. As the dose begins to wear off and the immense high, a feeling of extreme pleasure fades, most abusers take a second hit, then another and another. "The problem is, chronic use of meth can result in a tolerance for the drug. Users may try to intensify the desired effects by taking higher doses of the drug or taking it more frequently."
Withdrawal includes severe depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, aggression, and an intense craving for the drug. While the drug is fully in control the user can often show psychotic behavior including intense paranoia, hallucinations, and out of control rages that can result in violent episodes. Many very young children have been injured and killed by someone close to them who was high on meth.
According to the National Clandestine Laboratory Database there were 10,500 meth lab seizures during 2003. The fear that labs producing large amounts of the drug are being established in Mexico may be the result of more aggressive law enforcement in this country. The proposed new federal legislation could remove even more of the ingredients that are necessary for its manufacture. The new legislation proposes that a limit of about 120 pills of cold medicines that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine be allowed for purchase per person per day.
The specific medicines Sudafed, NyQuil, and Benadryl could only be had by asking. They would have to be kept behind the counters. In many rural counties in Nevada, meth labs depend on the ability to purchase large amounts of medicine containing the ephedrine or pseudoephedrine ingredients. Law enforcement in rural counties is stretched very thin because of budgetary problems.
Why is Nevada a Mecca for drug distributors? Mostly it's because of casinos, businesses that use and have on hand massive amounts of cash. Drug distributors need a source of laundering, and although there are federal constraints on the amounts of cash that can be moved through a casino's main cage, laundering is rampant. Exchanging hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash might only take a few hours at some of the largest operations.
While cocaine, meth, marijuana, and heroine move through the state regularly, a drug that is gaining popularity is the date rape drug called GHB or Gamma Hydroxybutyrate. Aggressive young men with no morals sprinkle it in their date's drinks, the young lady passes out, and is taken advantage of. But interestingly, it is also used frequently in $kindustry operations. The patron, higher than he should be, is drugged with ecstasy, he passes out, his credit card is run to its limit and he finds himself in a cell the next morning with no memories.
Health officials say it's that property of inducing a limited coma that makes ecstasy so dangerous. It is colorless and odorless and mixes efficiently with booze. Police agencies believe most of the date rape drug found in Nevada has its origins in Europe, primarily Belgium, and is brought to this country by Israeli criminal gangs. Some also arrives from Mexico. Federal investigators are attempting to tie the importation of the drug to owners and operators of skin clubs in Las Vegas. Among those mentioned in the investigations are Mike Galardi and Rick Rizzolo. No indictments have been issued.
Distribution of illicit drugs is an ongoing problem for law enforcement. One question that is being asked in the current investigation involving Reno radio personality Eddie Floyd (See this issue's top story) is why marijuana allegedly grown in California just north of Reno was being transported to Kentucky. Law enforcement officials believe Kentucky is one of the areas of the country that grows tons of pot. Is this alleged operation tied to bringing something from Kentucky back to Nevada? Was there more on those trucks than just marijuana? At least one person close to Floyd was murdered. Is the death of Mel Gordon tied to this alleged gang?
In every drug investigation officers often look for how the money was transferred, how it was laundered, and how it found its way into so-called legitimate businesses. Sex clubs are at the top often, but investment schemes also become questionable, and gang activity, whether localized, regional, or international, is always investigated.
Whether or not congress acts on the legislation in front of them, Chanos says the attorneys general organization is planning to press states to introduce meth-busting laws in 2006.
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