Methamphetamine

National Drug Intelligence Center
Pennsylvania Drug Threat Assessment Update
October 2003

Methamphetamine poses an increasing drug threat to Pennsylvania, particularly in the northwestern part of the state, despite low demand data. According to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs, there were 162 methamphetamine-related treatment admissions in both SFY2001 and SFY2002. Bradford County had the highest rate of methamphetamine-related treatment admissions per 10,000 population (3.19) in the state in 2002--the statewide rate was 0.13. DAWN ED data indicate that there were 67 methamphetamine-related mentions in the Philadelphia metropolitan area in 2000 to 60 in 2001 to 50 in 2002. The rate of methamphetamine-related ED mentions per 100,000 population in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (1) was lower than the rate nationwide (7) in 2002. DAWN mortality data indicate that methamphetamine was a factor in 7 of the 874 drug deaths in the Philadelphia metropolitan area in 2001. Allegheny County Coroner data indicated that methamphetamine was not a factor in any of the 210 accidental drug overdose deaths in 2002. According to ADAM Program data, no adult male arrestees in Philadelphia tested positive for methamphetamine in 2001. The 2001 YRBS indicated that 4.6 percent of high school students surveyed in Philadelphia reported having abused methamphetamine in their lifetime, compared with 9.8 percent nationwide.

Stages of Methamphetamine Abuse

Methamphetamine abuse is characterized by three patterns of abuse: low intensity, binge, and high intensity. Low-intensity abusers usually swallow or snort methamphetamine as an appetite suppressant or to provide extra stimulation for work or play. Binge abusers smoke or inject methamphetamine and experience euphoric rushes that are highly addictive. The most dangerous stage of a binge cycle is known as tweaking. Typically, during this stage, the abuser has not slept in several days and is irritable and experiencing feelings of paranoia. The tweaker has an intense methamphetamine craving; however, no dosage will re-create the euphoric high the tweaker seeks. High-intensity abusers are the addicts often called speed freaks. Their goal is to prevent the crash associated with coming down from a methamphetamine high, but they experience declining euphoria each time they ingest methamphetamine due to increased tolerance.

The availability of methamphetamine varies from low to moderate levels throughout Pennsylvania. Generally, methamphetamine availability is higher in the northwestern and eastern parts of the state. According to the NDTS 2002, 77 of the 99 law enforcement respondents in Pennsylvania reported the availability of methamphetamine as low or medium. Eight respondents (Allentown, Bloomsburg, Dubois, Erie, Lyndora, Sayre, Wilkes-Barre, and Willow Grove) reported that methamphetamine was available at high levels. Fourteen did not respond to this item on the survey questionnaire. According to FDSS data, federal law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania seized 4.7 kilograms of methamphetamine in 2002, an increase from the 1.4 kilograms seized in 2001. USSC data indicate that the percentage of drug-related federal sentences in Pennsylvania that involved methamphetamine (9.7%) was lower than the national percentage (14.2%) in FY2001. Methamphetamine sold for $8,000 to $13,000 per pound, $700 to $2,000 per ounce, and $80 to $200 per gram in Pennsylvania and was 25 to 60 percent pure in the second quarter of FY2003, according to the DEA Philadelphia Division.

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Most of the methamphetamine available in Pennsylvania is produced locally by Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers and by OMGs such as Breed, Hells Angels, Pagan's, and Warlocks using the iodine/red phosphorus, Birch reduction, and (to a lesser extent) the phenyl-2-propanone production methods. State and local law enforcement officials report increasing levels of methamphetamine production in Bradford, Columbia, Crawford, Erie, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, and Venango Counties. Pennsylvania State Police officials seized 32 methamphetamine laboratories in 2002 and almost that many laboratories in the first half of 2003. Most of the laboratories seized were capable of producing gram to ounce quantities of methamphetamine per production cycle. Methamphetamine laboratories in Pennsylvania typically are located at private residences and hunting cabins. Mobile methamphetamine laboratories also are used, although to a lesser extent. Such laboratories typically are set up in small trailers that are moved into wooded or secluded areas to run a production cycle, and then quickly moved to another location to run another production cycle.

Methamphetamine Production Methods

Ephedrine/Pseudoephedrine Reduction:

Hydriodic acid/red phosphorus. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, hydriodic acid, and red phosphorus. This method can yield multipound quantities of high quality d-methamphetamine and often is associated with Mexican DTOs and criminal groups.

Iodine/red phosphorus. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, iodine, and red phosphorus. The required hydriodic acid in this variation of the hydriodic acid/ red phosphorus method is produced by the reaction of iodine in water with red phosphorus. This method yields high quality d-methamphetamine.

Iodine/hypophosphorous acid. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, iodine, and hypophosphorous acid. The required hydriodic acid in this variation of the hydriodic acid/red phosphorus method is produced by the reaction of iodine in water with hypophosphorous acid. Known as the hypo method, this method yields lower quality d-methamphetamine. Hypophosphorous acid is more prone than red phosphorus to cause a fire and can produce deadly phosphine gas.

Birch. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, anhydrous ammonia, and sodium or lithium metal. Also known as the Nazi method, this method typically yields ounce quantities of high quality d-methamphetamine and often is used by independent dealers and producers.

Phenyl-2-propanone:

P2P. The principal chemicals are phenyl-2-propanone, aluminum, methylamine, and mercuric acid. This method yields lower quality dl-methamphetamine and has been associated with OMGs.

Some of the methamphetamine available in Pennsylvania is transported into the state from Arizona, California, and Mexico, among other areas. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers and OMGs such as Breed, Hells Angels, Pagan's, and Warlocks are the principal transporters of methamphetamine into Pennsylvania. These dealers, groups, and OMGs typically transport methamphetamine to Pennsylvania via private vehicles and package delivery services.

Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers and OMGs such as Breed, Hells Angels, Pagan's, and Warlocks are the principal wholesale-level and retail-level distributors of methamphetamine in Pennsylvania. However, most methamphetamine distribution in the state typically involves gram and ounce quantities. Methamphetamine distributed at the retail level often is packaged in folded pages of pornographic magazines, small plastic bags, and cellophane from cigarette packs. Retail-level methamphetamine distribution in Pennsylvania typically occurs from private residences, hotel rooms, and bars as well as in public parking area at malls and shopping centers and, to a lesser extent, at open-air drug markets.

Methamphetamine-related violence occurs occasionally in Pennsylvania. Further, state law enforcement officials report that the number of child endangerment cases related to methamphetamine abuse and production is increasing.

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