Crystal meth to get class A listing in bid to limit use

[nabraxas]

· Police fear stimulant could replace crack cocaine

· Illicit labs uncovered as drug is sold to clubbers

Alan Travis, home affairs editor

Monday June 12, 2006

The Guardian

Crystal meth, the highly addictive stimulant, is to be officially ranked as a class A drug in Britain following warnings from senior police that it could become mainstream within the next two to three years.

The Guardian has learned that the government's drug experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), have recommended the listing to the home secretary, John Reid, following police evidence that a small number of "domestic" laboratories have been uncovered in Britain.

Although the regular use of the drug has, until now, been confined to small sections of the gay club scene and some male saunas, a fall in prices has led to it being sold to mainstream clubbers as a drug that costs about the same as crack cocaine, but lasts much longer.

Senior British police have been alarmed by reports from America and Australia about its very rapid growth in popularity. The number of illegal labs producing it exploded in the US from 3,800 in 1998 to 8,500 in 2001, peaking at 10,200 in 2003. It is now more popular than cocaine or heroin in parts of America.

The class A listing means police will target meth abuse and illicit laboratories. At present, its class B status means it is not the subject of any targeted law enforcement activity.

The Association of Chief Police Officers has told the council that the drug is being imported from America and south-east Asia by a Filipino criminal network. But reliable intelligence reports have already identified five meth labs within London and a number of small domestic labs on the Isle of Wight.

The Metropolitan police says it knows of several significant meth dealers within the gay club scene in London who have made massive profits in recent years.

Detective Inspector Jason Ashwood, author of the Acpo paper, who works in the Met's drugs directorate, said: "Meth is arguably as much a hazard as crack cocaine and heroin, and more of a hazard than ecstasy and LSD. Previous concern about reclassification and 'stoking up' media interest has been overtaken by events." He said the "undisputed difference" between meth and other drugs is that it can be relatively easily manufactured at home. "The chemicals are available within the UK and the internet gives endless guidance on making," he added.

Acpo says domestic meth production quickly leads to squalor, with addicts consumed by the process and paying attention to little else. Families and neighbours are put at risk of fire, explosion and toxic fumes, with just one or two "cooking cycles" sufficient to render a building uninhabitable.

The effects of meth include psychosis and paranoia, and the ability to binge for days or weeks. It has a particularly addictive effect that could be compared to crack cocaine and heroin. As it is sold in powder, tablets or crystal and can be snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed it appeals to all classes of drug users.

Data from the 2005 national gay men's sex survey confirms its use but it is still a minority activity with less than 3% of respondents saying they had used the drug in the previous year.

Harry Shapiro of Drugscope, the drugs information charity, said it was sensible to classify meth alongside crack and heroin given international evidence on the social and health impact of its use.

"Although rates of usage in the UK remain low at present, reclassifying crystal meth could have pre-emptive value in enabling police resources to be directed towards the drug as part of the strategy to focus on class A drugs," he said.

At a glance

· Colourless, odourless form of d-methamphetamine. Usually smoked, but may be injected

· Widely used during second world war to keep soldiers alert. In the 1960s it became popular in the US among people working long shifts, and athletes before officials moved to restrict use in 1965. Now illegal both in the US and UK

· Hitler is said to have injected it daily. Produces immediate high which may last 12 hours or more. Cocaine sells for $100 to $150 a gram in the US, meth about $25

· World Health Organisation estimates 35 million people use it or its derivatives

The Guardian

[Torsten]

much of the epidemic appears to be hype! some interesting statistics in the US indicate that there is no such thing as a meth epidemic. so why the sudden interest? Could it be because they actually learned to understand to differentiate the real damage caused by various drugs (where meth ranks pretty high), or is it because they have failed with their war on all the other drugs, so to keep it interesting (ie to keep the funding) they need to create a new public enemy.

Not that I like meth abuse!! It's just as anti social as media abuse....

[ergoamide]

This seems stupid to me because i know a few people in UK and to put it simply meth just isnt availible in europe, it is very rare to find. however plain amphetamine is rife over there form what ive heard you can find ti anywhere all u have to do is ask.

[AndyAmine.]

From talking to friends in EU there are 2 main reasons I belive.

1, a diferent rxn with diferent precursors is used traditionaly which makes amphetamine not methamphetamine (as was the case in Australia up until the early 90's (Amphetamine Sulphate generaly) and if it aint broken why fix it. (can go into more detail if you need it)

2. They have access to LOTS of presciption Amphetamine. LOL

[simon_marklar]

aparently alot of UKers go back to their dealer and ask for normal amphetamine after thier first go of meth. i dont blame them, i much prefer amphetamine. it lets me sleep after a few hours, meth, forget about sleeping till the next day at the earliest.

if only they made ethyl-amp. its supposedly like meth, but without the pushyness/extreemly high sex drive.

if only the governement offered some sorta alternative.

[AndyAmine.]

Yeah I find the straight D-Meth the really edgy stuff but a racemic mix (if you can get it) tends to be much more subtle.

The old yellow recemic Amphetamine Sulphate was my favorite to I.V, much nicer rush and come down, although being Sulphate you got less for your money than the Hcl.

[ergoamide]

They wouldnt make ethyl-amph becoz its not potent i thinks its about 67% potency of amphetamine so y bother when you have 2 perfectly fine ones that ppl use anyway. Lotsa meth had been floating round these ways lately but its bein sold as XTC although they have a really high dose in em, droppin em you dont feel much iv nearly makes u puke.

[blog]

Is "crystal meth" the same meth amphetamine that has been very popular in Australia for 20 odd years or is it something new?

I'm unsure weather 'crystal meth' is the term Americans use for Meth and as it's gained in popularity over there and as such more media reports, our idiot media have started using the same American term for what they and we used to call 'meth' or weather 'crystal meth' is some sort of new meth?

[ergoamide]

it's the same meth as the US but most 'speed' in oz used to be amphetamine untill the restriction of phenylacetone which led to people utilising pseudoephedrine to make d-methamphet instead.

[ergoamide]

double post

Edited June 27, 2006 by ergoamide

[nabraxas]

i thought methamphetamine was the powder that's been around for the last 10+ years & can vary in strength depending on cut; whereas crystal meth is the same thing, but made in such a way so as to form largish crystals (rather than powder) which are smokeable & also because they are crystals they can't be cut, so the product is more pure.

it's the fact that it can be smoked, & hence deliver a huge immediate rush, which is the main difference AFAIK.

this has been discussed before along w/the confusion over 4-methylaminorex here

[Francois le Danque]

meth is methamphetamine...it's also "ice", the "deadly new drug" according to today tonight....

inaccurate drug information like this shit on current affairs programs are really in the way of getting anywhere with drug problems in australia.

then again i dont know anyone who take today tonight and current affair seriously. except my mum .

anyone watch chaser?

[AndyAmine.]

Did someone delete my post???

Nabraxas, Ergoamine is on the money.

your talking about the diferance between powdered Me*th and Glass/Ice which is recrystallised high purity Me*th, not the difernace between Spee*d and Me*th.

Speed = Amph*etamine,

Meth = Methamph*etamine,

Glass/Ice = Crystal Methamph*etamine/Methamp*hetamine Carbonate

[nabraxas]

^--i was answering the question

Is "crystal meth" the same meth amphetamine that has been very popular in Australia for 20 odd years

& as you & i both point out crystal meth or ice is different from normal meth amphetamine

that is the main thrust ov the question.

i know that meth is different from amphet that was around in the 60's to 80's but that's confusing the issue, for the last 10 years at least if you bought "speed" it was 90% likely to be methamphetamine

[gerbil]

So what exactly is the powdered form you refer to as meth*mphet@mine andy?

Freebase is an oil

"!ce/cr^stal m#th" is a crystaline salt, present usually as large crystals?

Powder is what? Rapid crystalisation then cut OR larger crystals ground to powder then cut with whatever, essentially the same thing, OR crystalisation to a different salt compared to the preffered salt for '!ce' with a more dainty crystaline structure?

If it's not an oil then it's not freebase, so it has to be a salt right?

!ce is a salt and the powder must be a salt?

Edited June 30, 2006 by gerbil

[AndyAmine.]

before I start I think I should say that I only know what I know on this issue because I have been told by those that are clued in on such things back when I was a meth addict, I have never had any personal/1st-hand experinace with these matters.

So what exactly is the powdered form you refer to as meth*mphet@mine andy?

The same stuff thats been available in powdered/cut form since the late 80's, its Jst the same as Glass/Ice but is much less pure (commonly around 5%-15% pure) and often it is the stuff 'they' either cant purify, dont want to purify or leave the way it is because fits a niche in the market.

Lets face it, there are FAR higher profits in powdered meth/speed (x10 or more) than there is in Glass/Ice and the head honcho's liked it that way, the Ozzy market only moved over when it had no choice because the Asians came in to fill the gap flooding the market wiht Ice thorugh the heroin networks.

Plus there is a lot of badly cooked gear out there and the pharma co's have done a good job of making thier lives a lot harder, so this also results in un-recrystallise-able, stinky, oily, brown/orange/yellow, gear.

Freebase is an oil

"!ce/cr^stal m#th" is a crystaline salt, present usually as large crystals?

Powder is what? Rapid crystalisation then cut OR larger crystals ground to powder then cut with whatever, essentially the same thing, OR crystalisation to a different salt compared to the preffered salt for '!ce' with a more dainty crystaline structure?

Depends on the method of precipitation and if a recrystalisation has been done at all.

The HCL salt that has been pricipitated using HCL gas comes out as very fine crystals, larger if done via an A/B, larger still if done as the Carbonate and even bigger if recystalised.

Do not howver, assume that because its in a nice big rock/crystal that it hasnt been cut, one can still creat those nice big smokable rocks, in an upure form by disolving it wiht MSM and crystallising.,

There are other methods too, but this one is common.

If it's not an oil then it's not freebase, so it has to be a salt right?

!ce is a salt and the powder must be a salt?

Correctamondo.

Edited June 30, 2006 by AndyAmine.

[gerbil]

thanks andy, it was relatively the same as what I thought but i've heard so many conflicting statements, especially regarding purity, thanks for taking the time to explain.

I was always confused by statements about !ce being 100% pure, then hearing about other forms being highly adulterated. So powder and crystal are essentially the same, yet generally crystal will be of a higher purity due to dealers liking to manipulate the market and cut the former.

I've got absolutely no interest in this compound but the theory of chemistry/environmental science fascinates me. Like thinking geology and minerals and crystalisation processes, then relating back to plant mineral uptake and ability to create compounds that can be fractioned and crystalised, pretty neat stuff.

[ergoamide]

Just as a side note, Fe*ster was the one that originally brought me*th carbonate to the public (well hive etc eye) eye. But however its no use coz its MP is way to high for the common user to vapourise unless they got sum wicked vapourisin gear, but it would prob decompose before then anyway. The carbonate is essentaily useless as the HCl beats it in everyway, except that sellin carbonate g for g will get u more.

Common speed that people buy today however is simply cut meth as andy mentioned above, the only difference between modern oz speed and ice is generally purity and physical appearance thats it.