States are cracking down hard on the sale of pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient used to make meth. Now, it’s harder than ever to buy large quantities of the drug, but people are still finding a way. Depending on the state you live in, you can buy up to 2 packages of pseudoephedrine a month. However, not all pharmacies are connected with each other and the drug database- meaning seekers or “smurfs” can just drive from town to town collecting the packages from different sources. Usually having no interest in meth, but interest in money, these seekers collect and sell the pseudoephedrine to makers and distributors of methamphetamine for around a 750% markup.
It’s harder for individuals to buy pseudoephedrine, but now meth labs are just recruiting more and more people to seek the pills. College students looking for weekend fun money participate in seeking and selling, then continue on. They may not have a methamphetamine addiction and they may not be involved in the manufacturing process, but they are just as guilty as the distributors. Parents are involving their children in pseudoephedrine seeking and the list of people contributing to the manufacturing of meth will continue to grow and evolve around the laws to stop it. Oklahoma state was doing very well when they implemented an electronic tracking system in 2006. They were seeing great results as the reported meth arrests dropped from 699 before the system to 93 in 2007. But now we continue to see the methamphetamine addiction incidents slowly climb as drug dealers learn new ways to get the drug made with less pseudoephedrine and with less “cooking” methods.
Methamphetamine addiction can turn your world upside down. Don’t fall prey to meth’s addictive hold. Please contact Vista Taos Renewal Center to learn how expert treatment can keep you from losing everything.
