City of Salem - Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a synthetic, strongly additive stimulant that impacts the central nervous system. It creates feelings of euphoria and excitement by releasing high levels of the neurotransmitter, dopamine. It causes sleeplessness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. Meth may even cause seizures, aggressiveness, or paranoia that is so severe the user becomes violent or suicidal.

On the streets you will hear it called crank, crystal, ice, speed., glass or chalk. It is used by Slamming (injecting) or Hot Railing (inhaling). Users are referred to as tweakers, junkies, crank heads, sketchers or spun monkeys. When they are high they are tweeked, wired, cranked, fired, lit, ripped, speeding or sketching. If you manufacture Meth you are known as either a Cook, Chef or Chemist. The most common buy sizes are the 8 Ball (an eighth of an ounce) a Teener (a sixteenth of an ounce) or a Baggie (one gram).

Signs of a drug house include an increase in neighborhood crime, unusual amounts of traffic going to one house, neighbors who are awake and active for days and who engage in unusual activities; bizarre security practices, visitors running in and out with backpacks or plastic bags, neglected children and blacked out windows.

Evidence of a Meth lab includes unusual chemical smells, large numbers of discarded batteries, bottles and jars with rubber tubing, large amounts of packaging from cold tablets, coffee filters containing white paste, white powder or dark red sludge, numerous discarded hot plates, evidence of chemicals purchased from animal feed stores or pool supply companies and excessive amounts of unusual garbage.

Meth labs can be found in rural, city or suburban residences; barns or garages; back rooms of businesses; apartments; hotel rooms; storage facilities and even vehicles. Obtaining the ingredients and cooking Meth is easier and more accessible than ever. Common ingredients include over the counter cold medications, red phosphorous, hydrocloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel and antifreeze.

Meth labs and users are not that hard to spot if you know what to look for. Here are some tips on how you can help:

Home Owners - Get out and meet your neighbors, know who lives next door and across the street. Start a Neighborhood Watch group and attend your monthly Neighborhood Association meetings. Take pride in the street you live on and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Property Owners, Managers and Landlords - Conduct a thorough screening of your perspective tenants. Rents that are always paid in cash are a warning sign. Conduct regular inspections and let them know you are familiar with the neighbors.

Hotel and Motel Managers - Be alert for guests who bring in large boxes, coolers or plastic storage bins. Verify license numbers and confirm credit cards. Be suspicious of individuals who appear jittery or paranoid and have neglected their personal hygiene.

Retail Merchants - Look for purchases of cold tablets, freon, acid, batteries, propane, acetone and other chemicals in large quantities as well as coffee filters, baggies, aerosol propellants and wooden matches.

Storage Unit Managers - Be on the lookout for customers who want 24 hour access to their unit and come and go often in a short period of time. Again, rents that are always paid in cash are a warning sign.

The Salem Police Department encourages you to look for and report any type of suspicious behavior/activity as described above to the Salem Police Department by calling the Drug Activity line at 503-315-2566. Help us send a message to these criminals that the community is fighting back.