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Part I: Executive Summary
Methamphetamine is a synthetic psychostimulant that produces intoxication, dependence, and psychosis. Methamphetamine has mood—altering effects, behavioral effects such as increased activity and decreased appetite, and a high lasting 8 to 24 hours. Although there is an initial general sense of well-being, methamphetamine use has been associated with both long- and short-term problems such as brain damage, cognitive impairment and memory loss, stroke, paranoia, anorexia, hyperthermia, hepatitis, HIV transmission, and violence.
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II drug, available only through a highly restricted prescription procedure. Medical uses include treatment for narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, and obesity.
A number of indicators—including methamphetamine laboratory seizure data and arrest data from the U.S. Department of Justice and data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Community Epidemiology Work Group and Multi-Site Assessment of Methamphetamine Use—clearly show that methamphetamine use is spreading throughout the United States. Historically, its use has been concentrated primarily in the West and Southwest. However, since the early 1990s, methamphetamine gradually has been moving into the Midwest and South. The drug is manufactured and distributed by Mexican sources using established drug trafficking routes; domestic clandestine laboratories are another significant source. Now, methamphetamine is used throughout most major metropolitan areas, less in the Northeast.
Of particular concern, methamphetamine use is emerging in cities and rural settings
previously thought to be largely unaffected by
illicit drug use and is increasing among populations not previously known to use this drug. Methamphetamine use is a particularly serious problem in some rural areas, many of which lack the infrastructures necessary to deal with a major drug problem. For example, many rural jurisdictions do not have local treatment providers or the expertise to respond to methamphetamine abusers. Similarly, law enforcement officials in rural areas lack the training and financial resources to deal with laboratory cleanup costs associated with the methamphetamine manufacturing in their communities.
The Methamphetamine Interagency Task Force was authorized by the Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996 in response to the emergence of widespread methamphetamine use. (The Act addressed three major areas: strengthening law enforcement initiatives; tightening regulatory powers, particularly those addressing the precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine; and mandating research and education initiatives.) Cochaired by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Task Force's purpose is to examine the impact of methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants in the United States and to evaluate, design, and implement Federal strategies for methamphetamine treatment,
prevention, and education and for law enforcement. The Task Force recognizes that methamphetamine differs from other drugs of abuse and intends that its work serve as a model for an improved and faster response to future drug epidemics.
Methamphetamine poses a particular problem because it can be produced in clandestine laboratories using over-the-counter drugs, household products, and other readily available chemicals. These laboratories are subject to a high risk of explosion, causing fires and releasing toxic gases. For this reason, methamphetamine presents major fire and public safety threats, in addition to health threats to users.
During the course of its work, the Task Force explored the history, the current state, and the future of the methamphetamine problem in the United States, ultimately providing guidance for a national plan to combat it. The group met four times. The first meeting was held in May 1998 in Washington, D.C., and the agenda was composed of reviews of current methamphetamine-related issues to provide a baseline of knowledge about the methamphetamine problem. The event featured presentations by researchers, practitioners, and others. The second meeting, at which members looked at the perspectives of people confronting methamphetamine locally, was held in October 1998 in Omaha, Nebraska. The third meeting, held in May 1999 in San Diego, California, focused on reviewing the Task Force's official report to ensure that it reflected the substance as well as the nuances of the principles Task Force members believed should guide discussions on dealing with methamphetamine use. In addition, the Task Force developed a set of working papers on Federal activities dealing with methamphetamine. (All materials produced by the Task Force are part of the public record and are available for review.) The final meeting, held in Washington, D.C., in November 1999, convened national, State, and local stakeholders from a variety of disciplines to provide input
to the Task Force on how to implement its
recommendations.
While much more must be learned about methamphetamine, the Task Force has examined available data and information; unfortunately, much of what exists is anecdotal and preliminary in scope. The findings derived from this examination have, in turn, provided the foundation for this report. Some of the key concepts the Task Force used to guide its proceedings include the following:
- Methamphetamine is a dangerous, addictive drug, and the population of users is not well defined and is expanding.
- There is a lack of data about the prevalence of methamphetamine use and abuse.
- There is no single source country or
single specific trafficking route for
methamphetamine.
- The clandestine laboratories where methamphetamine is produced domestically pose significant hazards to law enforcement officials, nearby residents, and, through environmental hazards, the general public.
- Methamphetamine can be destructive to the human body, affecting neurological, behavioral, and psychological functioning long after use has stopped.
- The precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine are relatively inexpensive, widely available, easy to transport, and difficult to regulate.
- Episodes of violent behavior have been associated with methamphetamine use.
- There is a general lack of public understanding about methamphetamine, including its risks and consequences, requiring public education efforts.
- Information for treatment providers on effective strategies has not been disseminated as widely as necessary and has not been disseminated effectively to all of the various providers involved with methamphetamine abusers.
- Methamphetamine abuse in rural and suburban areas presents a challenge for treatment providers in terms of resources and training.
Using its study of the methamphetamine phenomenon and such key concepts as these as a starting point, the Task Force has developed a set of principles, needs and recommendations, and research priorities to inform future efforts to implement a national strategy for methamphetamine prevention, education, treatment, and law enforcement. Intentionally excluded from this report is an indepth consideration of strategies to control precursor chemicals. The Task Force was informed that the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing precursor chemicals, and the Task Force opted to exclude this from its deliberations to avoid redundancy.
An opportunity now exists to make a significant impact on methamphetamine activity in the United States. Immediate action is necessary to prevent the damaging effects of methamphetamine by stopping the spread of its use.
For additional information on methamphetamine and the resources to address its use, visit the Web sites listed below:
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information
Drug Enforcement Administration
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