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| 1 June 2001 - San Diego Police Gazette County Launches Point-of-Purchase Anti-Meth Initiative Unlike most other dangerous drugs, methamphetamine stands alone as a cluster-bomb-style weapon against society. Meth, AKA “crank” or “speed” poses a significant threat to everyone around users and manufactures. Not only does the drug turn people into monsters that can pick up weapons, commit mayhem and destroy themselves while under the influence; it endangers anyone they come in contact with. In the case of meth manufacturers, who thankfully are slowly being squeezed out of the county, children can be killed or sickened, neighborhoods can blow up and soil groundwater can be permanently degraded with toxic by-products of the meth conversion process. The secondary devastation, therefore, arising out of meth-making and addition poses a multiple impact problem for society. Dr. Brian Blackbourne, the county’s medical examiner, also noted recently that “meth addicts have a terrible time in withdrawal and treatment. The sudden downturn is very hard to handle for most users.” Blackbourne said, pointing to high post-addition suicide and recidivism rates. At a news conference last month, Undersheriff Jack Drown, who co-chairs the strike force, outlined a new retail-based strategy to shortcut the meth production process Specially-trained peace officers, like the SDPD’s Ralph Cummings, along with Sheriff’s deputies Dustin Lopez, Todd Norton, Dave Brown, Henry Ramos, Marco Ramirez and others have accepted responsibility for training pharmacy and retail clerks in the detection of meth-maker tricks. The officers are giving retailers the skills to recognize when someone or a group may be working the store for an extraordinary supply of ephedrine-based over-the-counter remedies. |
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