Series: Meth: Shattering Lives In Northern Nevada

A three-month Reno Gazette-Journal investigation found that
methamphetamine's grip on the Truckee Meadows has become a stranglehold.

POLICE - DRIVERS ON METH AGGRESSIVE, DANGEROUS AND HARD TO DETECT

Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Dave Cox treats drivers high on
methamphetamine cautiously.

"One accusatory word out of my mouth and he realizes, 'Uh oh, he
knows,' and he becomes violent," Cox said. "And we have a belt full
of tools we can use to gain compliance of them, but unfortunately
with meth, they don't feel the pain. You can't manipulate joints and
you can't pepper spray them."

Drivers under the influence of meth can be aggressive speed demons,
angry that the cars around them aren't moving fast enough. The drug
revs up an addict's heart beat and internal clock, giving them energy
and strength and sometimes turning them into combative drivers ready
for a fight.

They tailgate, speed and make abrupt lane changes. They frequently
cause road rage incidents, police said.

But for some officers, it's harder to spot an amped-up meth user than
a drunk driver.

Cox estimates he could arrest 12 to 15 impaired drivers a month on a
typical swing shift, but not all officers are trained to recognize
drivers on stimulants.

"If the training is not there and you don't know what to look for,
these guys are getting cut loose on occasion," Cox said. "Most of our
guys are squared away enough where they can say, 'Something is wrong
and I'm going to call somebody.'"

Drug Recognition Evaluator

In training, officers learn the signs of drunken drivers. In the
academy, new officers take an eight-hour drug enforcement lesson and
learn on the street.

"They've got some knowledge of what people look like," said Reno
police Sgt. Bruce Kirby, a certified Drug Recognition Evaluator who
also teaches DRE classes locally. "When you pull them over, they'll
have great big eyes, they'll be talking a mile a minute and sweat profusely."

The Drug Recognition Evaluator program, developed by Los Angeles
police in the 1970s, involves a 12-part analysis of the impaired driver.

The California Highway Patrol says the analysis is accurate 80
percent to 90 percent of the time, even when subjects are under the
influence of more than one substance.

Meth users tend to use alcohol or marijuana to slow their beating
hearts when they are high, and that sometimes gives evaluators a
false impression.

But mostly, DREs are right.

Checking The Warning Signs

The test begins with a breath alcohol test. If the results don't
match the subject's behavior, a DRE is called.

The DRE interviews the arresting officer about the reason for the
arrest and about the subjects' behavior, appearance and driving. The
DRE reviews the blood alcohol test and asks if the subject talked
about drug use. The subject must be cooperative for the test to work
and the DRE will go through as many of the 12 steps as necessary for
an accurate diagnosis.

The DRE starts the interview with the subject with medical questions.
"(We ask) when was the last time you ate or slept," Kirby said.

The DRE watches the subject's attitude, coordination, speech and
checks if pupils are the same size and if the subject can follow a
moving stimulus, such as a flashlight or the officer's fingers. The
person's pulse is taken. Some subjects can be suffering from a
medical condition or exhibit symptoms of drug use because of mental
health prescription drugs.

Then the evaluator checks for how the eyes track horizontally and
vertically and for a lack of convergence.

Time perception warped

Four tests can be used to measure the suspect's attention and motor
skills. One test has the driver close his eyes, tilt his head back
and tell the officer when 30 seconds has passed.

"Some of them, their internal clock is so fast it can be as little as
three or four seconds," Kirby said. "It's typically less than 12 seconds."

The DRE takes blood pressure, temperature and a second pulse because
drugs such as methamphetamine raise vital signs well above average levels.

A dark room examination using a pupilometer measures the pupil size
and its reaction to light. The DRE also checks the subject's nasal
and oral cavities. Officers have a pocket-sized card with them than
helps them measure the size of the pupil. Meth users' pupils are
extremely dilated and don't shrink when exposed to light.

The next test examines the muscle tone. Some drugs cause muscles to
become rigid and others cause muscles to become loose and flaccid.

The person's pulse is taken again and the DRE looks for injection
sites on the subject's body. Users can inject anywhere they can reach
a vein - their feet, neck, wrists, elbows and knees.

The DRE asks questions about the subject's drug use and forms a final
opinion. At the end of the process, the DRE orders blood, urine or
saliva tests for lab analysis.

Other telling signs

Cox knows what to look for beyond the physical manifestations of the drug.

"Their car is going fast because their body is going 100 mph," he
said. "These vehicles are a pigsty. There's no upkeep on the vehicle,
trash laying on the floorboards. It's not uncommon to see them with
pornography lying in the back seat."

And while Cox believes disoriented drivers on marijuana pose the
greatest risk to other motorists, he doesn't discount the possibility
of a violent confrontation or a careless accident caused by meth users.

"They're not worried about driving," Cox said. "They're just going
from point A to point B and they just want that accomplished. That's
all they really care about."

[Sidebar]

Methamphetamine Indicators:

Dilated pupils; increased pulse, blood pressure and body temperature;
restlessness; body tremors; excited; euphoric; talkative; exaggerated
reflexes; anxiety; grinding teeth; redness to nasal area; runny nose;
loss of appetite; insomnia; increased alertness; dry mouth; irritability.

Overdose Signs:

Agitation; increased body temperature; hallucinations; convulsions.

Duration:

Up to 12 hours