California meth use still a problem

image
Author: Bob Morris
Published: 14 Oct, 2011
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
3 min read

California is so geographically huge with such a large population, that problems which are sometimes more evident elsewhere are also problems here too, even if they may not get as much attention. One such problem is methamphetamine usage.

Meth usage is more prevalent in rural areas than cities. Abandoned buildings in remote areas can be used for meth labs, plus one of the main precursors for cooking meth is anhydrous ammonia, a common fertilizer often stored in large quantities in tanks. But of course, meth made in the country certainly finds its way to cities too.

The Butte County Meth Strike Force details the serious meth problem in their area, which encompasses Chico and Oroville. They say local authorities estimate that a staggering 80% of crime is related to meth. This can be from those making and selling it, users caught possessing it, those doing crimes to get money to buy it, and other crimes like rape and child abuse committed by highly unstable meth addicts.

Further, the environmental damage done to usually rural areas by meth labs is severe. Large amounts of seriously toxic substances are left behind, sometimes contaminating water supplies. Those renting homes to others may find themselves responsible for the clean-up bill when the rental has become uninhabitable due to a meth lab being there.

Although California is not one of their target states, The Meth Project has a wealth of information available and specializes in releasing hard-hitting, highly effective 30 second TV spots aimed at reducing first-time meth usage by young people.  In an ad titled Ben, a girl's voiceover speaks as you see scenes from Ben's life, starting with him convulsing on a couch.  

     "This is where he went into convulsions. This is the emergency room where he nearly died. This is where he used right after he got out, and this is where he hung himself because he said he couldn't quit - and this is what I said, when he told me he was going to try meth."

She is silent and looks like she's about to cry. 

They have many ads like this which you can view on their website or on YouTube. The Meth Project is active in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona.  Their ads are effective, and they have numerous studies showing that meth usage drops dramatically in areas where the ads run. 

IVP Donate

Meth makes you extremely paranoid and thus can result in hyper-aggression as well as psychosis. It rots your teeth, leaving many meth users with blackened or crumbling teeth which will require major dental surgery.  It obviously is highly addictive and will take you down faster than heroin or cocaine, as the Faces of Meth shows with their before and after mug shots of arrestees as they spiraled into addiction. Sometimes the after photo is just a few months later too, and shows a formerly healthy person now gaunt, with lesions on their face, looking years older.

This is not an abstract issue for me. I was addicted to meth for a couple of years in the late 1960's and managed to escape with my teeth and brain intact. Too many don't. The Meth Project is saving lives. And if you or someone you know is addicted to meth, the best thing you can do is get them to Narcotics Anonymous or (since most addicts are also alcoholic) Alcoholics Anonymous.

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read