Published: August 21, 2008 08:56 pm      

Drugs in Orange County are an issue but not a new problem

Although there was a recent large drug bust of about 84 pounds of ecstacy on Interstate 10, the drug trends in Orange County continue to be the same with crack cocaine and methamphetamine being the most sought after by drug addicts.

Lately law enforcement officials have not seen as many large quantities of drugs being transported down the highways, said Lt. Rob Strause of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Services Division. He attributes this fact to drug dealers holding back to drive up their prices. However, he added, things will again open up and officers will be ready.

Officers with the special services division see a lot of methamphetamine in the county regions, Strause said.

Methamphetamine is a very addictive drug stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol. It is taken orally, intranasally, needle injection or by smoking, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

David, 29, not his real name to protect his identity, has been abusing drugs since his teen years. Both cocaine and methamphetamine have at times nearly ruined his life. Daniel has gone through his life savings, a large amount of insurance money to get his house repaired following Hurricane Rita and lost his job of eight years in order to do more drugs.

“I just don’t know what I was thinking,” he said. “I just could not stop myself.”

Methamphetamine increases the release of very high levels of the brain chemical dopamine which is involved in motivation, the experience of pleasure, motor function and is a common mechanism of action for most drugs of abuse.

Long term methamphetamine abuse has many negative consequences including extreme weight loss, severe dental problems, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances and violent behavior, according to NIDA.

Chronic methamphetamine users can also display a number of psychotic behaviors such as paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations and delusions.

In 2006 there was an estimated 731,000 current users in the US. Of the 259,000 first time users the average age was 22 years old. From 2005 to 2006 the number of lifetime abusers increased among people ages 26 years old and older. Particularly those 26 to 34 years of age, according to the NIDA.

Unlike some drugs, methamphetamine can be made at home. Some of the commonly used items in making methamphetamine such as table salt, ammonia, drain cleaner, lantern fuel, antifreeze and over the counter cold medications can be found in many households.

“It is so easy to get meth,” David said. “It’s just everywhere.”

Most of the time methamphetamine is made from a very easy recipe and can be cooked and ready in 6- 8 hours in a mobile lab where the cookware can be relocated to avoid detection of any fumes or vapors that are associated with the making of methamphetamine, according to meth-kills.com.

Over the years Strause has seen large quantities of drugs seized by law enforcement in Orange County. The largest amount of marijuana seized on Interstate 10 was about 7,654 pounds in the year 2000 and the largest amount of cocaine seized more than three years ago was 30 kilograms. Although the largest amount of methamphetamine seized was six pounds that is still considered a large amount since it is generally sold in small quantities.

Although marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine may be common on the highways, prescription drugs and crack cocaine are a big problem for narcotics officers at the Orange Police Department. However, people do not generally transport prescription drugs and proving a case may be more difficult.

The Orange Police Department has a two man team that works drug interdiction on the highway and officers that work within the city.

Sgt. Bobby Ashworth of OPD mostly works the inner-city and sees his share of drugs on the streets.

Ashworth said he is not sure if the drug problem has increased over the years or if there has been better information from informants and from officers just “beating the bush.”

“The most prevalent drug in Orange is crack cocaine with prescription drugs a close second,” Ashworth said. “All we can do is try to just stay ahead of the curve.”

Crack is the street name given to a freebase form of cocaine that has been processed from the powdered cocaine hydrochloride form to a smokeable substance. The term “crack” refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked. Crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water. It is heated to remove the hydrochloride. Because crack is smoked, the user experiences a high in less than 10 seconds. This is one of the reasons crack became so popular, but another reason is because crack is inexpensive both to produce and buy.

“Once you take that first hit,” David said. “It’s just never enough.”

The National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health estimated the number of current crack users to be about 567,000. Adults aged 18 to 25 years old have a higher rate of current cocaine use than in any other age group. Additionally, men have a higher rate of current cocaine use than women.

Cocaine’s stimulant and addictive effects are thought to be primarily a result of the drug’s ability to inhibit the re-absorption of dopamine by nerve cells.

Use of cocaine in a binge during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses leads to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness and paranoia. This may result in a full-blown paranoid psychosis in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.

Severe medical complications such as heart problems such as heart attacks, strokes, seizures and gastrointestinal complications.

David said he has since quit after he hit “rock bottom” and thought he was having a heart attack, but was afraid to go to the emergency room. Although, he admits he still craves the drugs and it is a daily battle.

“I thought I was going to die,” he said. “Now I am just trying to put my life back on track, but it is just so hard.”



Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2613, or dschamber@orangeleader.com