A DEADLY BREW

Meth invades Middle America

To determine the gravity of methamphetamine use in Larimer County, one
needs to look no further than Gregg Lammons, screening officer for the
District Attorney's office.

"I file meth cases every day," said Lammons. "I'm filing more
methamphetamine cases than any other drug."

As a screening officer, Lammons decides what charges to file based on the
evidence presented in each case.

"I know meth is a problem across the state," he said. "I know it's a
problem here."

After officers investigate a crime, reports are presented to Lammons, who
decides if the information is prosecutable. Eyewitness accounts,
admissions, informants and undercover police work all factor into the
feasibility of prosecution.

The use and production of methamphetamine has substantially increased and
according to Lammons, is the number one drug problem in the county.

"It wasn't that way five years ago, but it is now," he said.

Made from household products, methamphetamine has become the retableiest
used drug in the county.

"Meth is probably the drug of choice over cocaine," said Francis Gonzales,
sergeant with the Larimer County drug task force.

Most methamphetamine is coming across the border from Mexico, where it is
produced in "super labs," capable of manufacturing the drug in
kilo-quantities. So-called "kitchen labs" are capable of creating anywhere
from a gram (one sugar packet) up to a pound.

The drug, composed of household chemicals such as acetone, antifreeze,
Drano and various acids, can be cooked in a kitchen and moved from house to
house with ease.

"Meth comes from the border or next door," said Gonzales. "If you know the
recipe, you can cook up a batch in a couple of hours."

The drugs are smuggled across the border by individuals known as "mules"
that are later paid in cash or in what they transport, said Gonzales.

In a recent drug bust, police tied into a drug train stretching from
Tijuana to Colorado. A drug runner named Novoa-Cardenas was bringing drugs
across the border into California through Colorado and to Illinois. Police
were able to tap into the drug runners' phone lines, resulting in 22
arrests, nine search warrants, the seizure of ephedrine, cocaine, 8.9
kilograms of methanphetamine and five hand guns.

Gonzales works closely with local supermarkets to monitor large sales of
precursor chemicals such as ephedrine and iodine.

"We put these things on a watch list," Gonzales said. "Our guys go through
with confidential informants."

Gonzales said methamphetamine has been a problem in Larimer County since
the late 1980s, but was first seen during the time of Pearl Harbor when
Japanese pilots would use the drug before missions.

"It was known as 'prope dope,'" he said. "Speed has been around a long time."

The drug task force uncovers approximately 23 labs per year, or about two
labs per month, Gonzales said.

"We've seen it evolve from a pharmaceutical drug to being manufactured in
kitchens and chicken coops," he said.

After a lab has been detected and before it can be cleaned up, police have
to secure their safety. One way of doing this is to test the air of a
potential lab site with a device to measure the toxins in the air. If the
air is unclean, police then decide the level of protection needed.

A meth lab raid can go anywhere from using a breathing apparatus which
filters the air to a fully encapsulated suit, said Gonzales.

"They're dangerous chemicals," said Gonzales. "We have to handle them
carefully."

After being apprehended, the suspect is taken to the Larimer County
Detention Center, where he or she may undergo medical screenings to detect
if there are toxins in his or her blood.

"If we have concerns because of the way a person is acting, we go through
medical screenings," said Lieutenant Deb Russel of the Larimer County
Sheriff's Office.

If police are concerned about a suspect's health, a nurse may examine the
individual and he or she may be taken to a hospital.

Russel considers factors such as whether there are medical concerns, if the
suspect is coherent, functioning properly and understanding their surroundings.

If an individual was on methadone, police watch for lethargic behavior,
Russel said.

"There are things we do watch for," she said. "There are indicators and
guidelines."

Some police check for nystagmus, a jerking of the eye when tracking an
object from side to side. Police do not base screening solely on if an
individual has come in on drug charges.

"Just because someone is brought in with drug charges doesn't indicate they
are under the influence of drugs at that moment," Russel said. "Sometimes
people with mental health issues can have the same actions as someone on
drugs."

After having been detoxified, suspects are brought before a drug court,
where Judge Arnaud Newton interacts with suspects to find a solution that
will help end the drug problem.

"It's much more one-on-one," Newton said. "I'm encouraging them, I'm
chewing them out."

The court implies course therapy to drug addicts who are often losing teeth
and malnourished.

"Our concept is that quitting is much more better than the alternative," he
said. "Immediacy is a part of it."

Drug abusers are tied to their addiction at many levels. For many drug
users, the desire to return to the feeling drugs give them is what keeps
them addicted.

"The big thing is wanting to get back to that feeling again. It's
frustrating for the drug court," Newton said. " We get them clean for about
30 days and then all the things that got them into it-mental health,
immaturity-pull them back in."

Newton said by the time methamphetamine users become sober, they have lost
their ability to live a normal life.

"When they get their head clear, they don't know how to live their life in
general," he said.

In the two years that the drug court has been in existence, Newton has seen
its effectiveness and attributes its success to the nature of the program.

"I like to think that the drug court is very effective because of the
cohesive nature of the program," he said.

Despite the court's successes, the prevalence of methamphetamine will
likely keep the courts busy for some time.

"It is the biggest problem we have right now in drug court," Newton said.

A deadly brew