METHAMPHETAMINE QUALITY DOWN IN UTAH

Purity Problems ; Might Lead To More Crime, Addict Says.

Methamphetamine in Utah just isn't like the old days.

The quality of the drug has declined and the price has increased,
according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents in the
state. In some cases, the drug is so poor, agents have a hard time
making a criminal case against the seller.

"It's more difficult to find methamphetamine in Utah right now than
it's ever been," said Frank Smith, the assistant special agent in
charge of the DEA in Salt Lake City.

Agents are finding meth that is as little as 30 percent pure,
costing $1,400 to $1,800 an ounce, Smith said. In 2005, the DEA and
local police complained meth was routinely 90 percent pure and the
price about $1,000 an ounce.

Smith credits crackdowns at home and abroad for the change. But
while the DEA may view the purity and money changes as a success,
some like Jenny Riggs also warn the change could lead to more of
other types of crime.

Consuming meth that is less pure can mean less intense highs or that
someone needs to consume more meth to reach the desired effect.
Lower quality meth forces addicts to steal and rob people to buy
more drugs and keep their highs, said Riggs, who became addicted
to meth at age 18.

"They're just committing more crimes to look for the best product,"
she said in a telephone interview from the Utah State Prison.

Riggs, 30, was convicted of forgery in 2008. She was forging checks
to obtain money for meth, she says. She will leave the state prison
in September and begin serving a 38-month federal sentence for
forgery in a federal prison in Dublin, Calif.

The lower quality has made it harder for federal agents to prosecute
some sellers, Smith said. Federal law enforcement uses a formula to
determine whether to prosecute methamphetamine cases. The lower
quality the meth, the more agents need to confiscate or buy from a dealer.

Smith said that lately,; undercover agents have been buying more
meth from certain dealers to meet the thresholds and charge the
dealers with crimes. State prosecutions don't have the same restrictions.

Limits on the amount of pseudoephedrine, a cold medication and a
major meth ingredient, that a person can purchase have curbed Utah's
home-grown meth supply, said Smith. But although the Mexican
government has also pursued drug cartels in that country, reducing
the amount of meth flowing into the United States, the drug usually
still has high purity when it's shipped from Mexico.

When it arrives to distribution points, Smith said, dealers will use
additives to cut the drug, or increase the volume so there's more to sell.

"Their intent is to increase their profit margin," he said.