Methamphetamines: use and trafficking in the Tucson-Nogales area

Abstract

A national increase in the use of methamphetamine, a cheap, accessible, and dangerous drug, prompted the National Institute on Drug Addiction to sponsor an ethnographic study in the Tucson-Nogales area. This area has experienced a rapid rise in methamphetamine (also known as meth, speed, crank, smoke, or crystal ice) use during the past 3 years. Mexican and Canadian borders are ports of entry for meth and precursor substances, and home manufacturing has increased substantially. The dual consequences of overdose and addiction result in devastating long-term psychological and physiological problems. Increased law enforcement and citizen awareness in controlling the "epidemic" are key elements in curbing the problem.