Rumors circulating nationwide about flavored methamphetamines have not yet been confirmed by lab tests. Until they know with certainty, however, law enforcement, school officials and anti-drug groups across the country are taking it seriously.
The Carson City, Nev., Sheriff’s Office is credited with the initial seizure of flavored meth known as “strawberry quick.”
Sgt. Darrin Sloan, who leads the Special Enforcement Team in Carson City, said that the new meth came to light during a buy set up with an informant who had worked with sheriff’s officers on about 10 cases. The informant said that he could buy what he called “pink meth” from one of the suspects the SET was investigating.
“He purchased it. He brought it back to us and said the guy called it ‘strawberry meth,’” Sloan said in an interview Wednesday night. “When I looked at it, I’d never seen anything like it. I don’t know how they did it.”
Sloan said the pink-colored meth was alleged to have come from Sacramento.
“It’s actually been the only case here,” he said.
The crime laboratory has not yet confirmed the presence of flavoring in the seized meth. The lab will have the report ready when the case goes to trial.
“They have a machine they can put it in and they can break it all down,” he said.
Sloan said the “strawberry quick” did not have the scent of strawberry.
“To me, it just smelled like meth. ... It’s got to be bad, no matter what they put in it,” he said.
Ephedrine, anhydrous ammonia and battery acid are among the ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamines.
Sloan said he was concerned that young people would be attracted to flavored meth.
“My own thoughts were, once this hits the streets, it’s just more attractive to the kids,” he said.
The Carson City arrest, followed up by a warning from the Nevada Department of Public Safety, prompted some school officials in Nevada to alert parents to flavored meth. That warning eventually manifested into an e-mail alert that has been circulating across the country. The e-mail shows a flyer used by the Lander County School District in Battle Mountain, Nev.
Lander County Superintendent Curtis Jordan said that state law enforcement officials had sent out a warning about the new twist on an old drug. The district sent flyers home with children to alert their parents; teachers also talked with students about the new form of an old drug.
“Basically, as I understand it, what they’re doing is mixing (flavored drink powder) with the meth and giving it to kids,” Jordan said. “We have not had anybody actually taking it. I’ve heard a rumor there was somebody offered it in the district, but it was just a rumor, no substantiation on that.”
Jordan said that receiving a warning from law enforcement compelled the district to disseminate the information.
“We take anything like that very seriously,” Jordan said. “It’s better to be warned against something that might not be a problem ... than to get a problem and explain why we didn’t warn about it. It’s something I think people need to be aware of and watch out for.”
National news reports also have alleged an incident involving flavored meth in Arkansas. An official with the Arkansas Crime Laboratory clarified the information in a telephone interview this week.
Chris Harrison, chief illicit laboratory chemist, said that law enforcement had raided a meth lab and found packages of strawberry-flavored drink powder in the trash, along with remnants of meth ingredients. Meth from the raid has not yet come through his laboratory, so there is no tangible evidence to support the claim.
“What we’re telling everybody is that this is not a problem in our area yet,” Harrison said. “It has not been seen enough to really be considered any kind of trend. We just have some anecdotal evidence that it might be coming into Arkansas.”
He said that it is possible that a lab might not detect flavoring because labs usually conduct basic extractions. Technicians may notice different colors, and would be able to detect sugar as they look for controlled substances or cutting agents.
“We’re not looking for flavors,” he said.
Harrison said that rocks of colored methamphetamine hydrochloride — meth’s full name — are not unusual. Coloring meth is one way to try to disguise it, especially when attempts are being made to slip it into a prison setting. Additionally, coloration is a bit of a marketing tool. Whether a product is legal or illegal, he said, sellers want to find a way to make their products stand out from the others and thereby increase sales.
“Drug dealers have consistently marketed their drugs any way they can, using flavorings and colors, different kinds of candies, ever since they’ve been selling drugs,” Harrison said. “People think they’re getting something new and they’ll maybe be more likely to buy it from you rather than someone else.”
Harrison said the lab has been doing surveys regularly to check for the presence of flavored meth.
“Nobody’s seeing it,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of colored drugs but nothing that really seems to be flavored.”
Meth may be colored with food coloring and if it’s purple, he said, it may have been colored by a pH imbalance from improper “cooking.”
The key fact about meth is that it is dangerous and addictive, whether it is a natural color or enhanced with coloring and flavors, he said.
“You should always be concerned about your children’s exposure to drugs,” Harrison said.
Flavored meth apparently has not yet come to Kansas, though sessions on the topic have been conducted at law enforcement seminars in the state.
“No, we haven’t seen anything in Kansas,” said Kyle Smith, deputy director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. “It’s addictive enough and I don’t know that they need to sugar coat it, pardon the expression, to get customers once people try it.”
Loretta Wyrick, assistant coordinator for the state’s Methamphetamine Prevention Project, concurred.
“There are no verified reports from law enforcement labs,” Wyrick said.
The MPP is taking the matter seriously, though, and is gathering information to use in its next newsletter.
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Posted by barbara61 (anonymous) on May 18, 2007 at 3:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I seen this on the news the dealers are trying to get our young kids hooked on this poison that taste good so they have a customer for years to come. It started down south and is working its way up. There is another drug that has hit the south very hard especially Dallas Texas its called CHEESE and it is killing kids down there. Its some form of herion mix in a pill. People need to beware of these drug dealers and there tactics there playing with our children lives.
Posted by sciguy (anonymous) on May 19, 2007 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This smells strongly of "urban legand".
It's easy to get parents and school districts worked up into a panic on the basis of rumor alone. What about the tattoos and stamps that supposedly had LSD in them? That comes up pretty often; see the links below.
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/blue...
http://users.lycaeum.org/~sputnik/tattoo...
If the only thing standing between your child and methamphetamine is the flavor, you have a serious problem on your hands--and the problem isn't the meth.
Posted by barbara61 (anonymous) on May 19, 2007 at 4:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree sciguy , Its a mess all the way around flavor or no flavor. Stamp or no stamp. Kids are under so much pressure these days by there peers to drink and get high. Most parents are not around to really watch out for these kids like we would want too with all we have to do in life. These are not the 60s drugs. These are more powerful and cut with extremely dangers stuff. No drug is safe! Thats not what I mean.( I have been clean for years now and none are good) I just think they are more addictive and dangerous these days it seems. The dealers are getting more cunning at selling it to the very young kids so there hooked for years and they stay in the money for longer periods of time. Our kids are more likely to use these days due to stress too. I would not want to be a young kid these days (never ). I loved my time of the 60s & 70s to grow up in. Yeah.. it was free sex, drugs, and rock n roll, but the world still wasnt as crazy as it is now. There is so much kids have to deal with.. I really feel sorry for them. Drugs are not the answer( I wish they knew that) but I can see how they think it would be a fun escape.With the world around them and the things they have to see and deal with in this life. Im sorry... this place(country & world ) really SUCKS ! For all of us... but especially for the young. Everything is broke and corrupt it seems. Look out if money is involved corruption is around the corner. Look at our friendly LEGAL drug pushers( pharmaceutial companys) Our kids are dying from them too. There really no better then the crack heads selling there rocks to our kids.
Posted by FYI (anonymous) on May 19, 2007 at 6:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Pink meth is not anything new. It is just being reintroduced. Pink meth was around 13 years ago.
Posted by algiz02 (anonymous) on May 23, 2007 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This isn't an urban legend. Here's the link to it on snopes.
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/cand...
Posted by sciguy (anonymous) on May 30, 2007 at 5:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Read the snopes article to its conclusion.
They have not concluded that there is any flavor, and there is only conjecture on the part of law enforcement that it is designed to appeal to kids. It is mentioned, for instance, that color may be an attempt at "branding", or a marketing gimmick.
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