Meth use has risen drastically in city

Jenny Marder

The use of methamphetamines, a powerfully addictive and sometimes

fatal stimulant, has skyrocketed in Huntington Beach in the past

decade.

Methamphetamine possession makes up more than 70% of the narcotics

related arrests in Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach Police Sgt.

Corby Bright said. Bright heads the unit that handles all

investigations of narcotics-related activities.

“Probably seven or eight years ago, meth made up maybe 20% of our

narcotics arrests, and the rest was cocaine,” Bright said. “Now, it’s

just the opposite. Now it’s all meth, and every now and then we see

cocaine.”

Methamphetamines, commonly known as meth, speed, crystal, crank or

tweak, stimulate the central nervous system. The drug, which is sold

in either a powder or crystal form and can be snorted, smoked or

injected, produces a rapid, intense high along with feelings of

increased alertness, appetite loss and elevated heart rate and body

temperature.

Prolonged use of the drug can lead to insomnia, weight loss,

paranoia, dizziness and psychosis. An overdose can cause stroke and

heart failure.

Police officers arrest about 30 people a week in Huntington Beach

in connection with methamphetamines, Bright said.

Huntington Beach Narcotics Detective Jim Schoales called

methamphetamines the “drug of choice” in Huntington Beach.

“Meth is kind of the in thing in Huntington Beach,” Schoales said.

“It has no boundaries from the wealthy to the poor. ... There are

people we come across who come from wonderful families who are just

hooked on this drug. It’s people in the [Huntington] Harbour, you

name it. All walks of life are affected by it.”

The main ingredient of the drug is ephedrine, which can be

extracted from over-thecounter cold medications. Various common

household chemicals are used to extract ephedrine from the pills.

“People can go to Home Depot and get a lot of the chemicals they

need just to make it,” Schoales said. “You have people who aren’t

chemists who are learning from some book and dealing with chemicals

that are very toxic.”

Police see a strong connection between meth use and crime in

Huntington Beach, particularly identity theft, mail theft and car

burglaries, Bright said.

“The complete lack of living a normal life is the devastating

part,” Schoales said. “You look at somebody and say, ‘How did you get

to this point?’ You wonder at what point do they say, ‘God, how did I

get here?’

“It just seems like the physical effects of the drug absolutely

destroys you,” he said.

In December 2002, the Huntington Beach City Council eliminated the

Drug Abuse Resistance Education program as part of its budget cuts.

The drug prevention program, which had police officers go to

schools to speak on the negative effects of drugs, had been in place

since 1983.

Many Huntington Beach schools still have drug abuse programs

incorporated into the health curriculum. Police, however, are no

longer involved.

“There is some move to try to get the Police Department back and

involved with the schools, but that’s in the planning stage,”

Huntington Beach Police Lt. Janet Perez said. “It’s more of a fiscal

issue than anything else.”

When it comes to a drug such as methamphetamines, experts say that

no police officer, family member or program can stop a user who isn’t

ready to quit.

“It comes to the person,” Schoales said. “It doesn’t matter how

much you support them; the person has to decide ‘Hey, I want help. I

don’t want to live like this anymore.’”