History of Methamphetamine

• The 1950’s saw the use of amphetamine & methamphetamine spread and so did the abuse and addiction.
– Widely prescribed by doctors under loose government controls. – Obtained by prescription for use as a diet pill and also the treatment of narcolepsy. – Large scale diversion, used non-medically by college students, truck drivers, and athletes.
The History of Methamphetamine
• The 1960’s saw the beginning of methamphetamine produced in clandestine laboratories.
– West Coast phenomena – Drug culture expands
• In 1980 P2P becomes a controlled substance • A black market emerges for P2P using
– Phenylacetic Acid – Sodium Acetate – Acetic Anhydride
The History of Methamphetamine
The History of Methamphetamine
• 1994, Expansion of the Federal Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act
– Import/export thresholds – Expansion of “Listed Chemicals” – Import license and DEA registration requirements
The History of Methamphetamine
• Amphetamine was first synthesized in 1887 by German chemist L. Edeleano.
• etamine was first synthesized in 1919 by Japanese chemist A. Ogata
• 1990’s – the proliferation of Mexican national “Super-labs”
– Large scale production (50 to 150 lb batches) using the ephedrine/pseudoephedrine reduction method – Use of established drug trafficking rings for distribution – Distribution expands to the North & Eastern parts of the U.S. – Control of methamphetamine trade shifts from OMG’s to Mexican criminal organizations – Rogue pseudoephedrine tablet industry emerges
The History of Methamphetamine
• In 1970 legal production of amphetamines reached an all-time high of 12 billion tablets annually. • The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 went into effect controlling the manufacture and distribution of amphetamines.
The History of Methamphetamine
The 1960’s also saw the rise of outlaw motorcycle gangs who controlled the clandestine manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine in the U.S., primarily on the West Coast.
– Reducing activity in hyperactive children – Treating narcolepsy patients – Appetite suppressant (a major clinical use)
The History of Methamphetamine
The History of Methamphetamine
• Smaller clandestine laboratories move North and East while the Mexican national “Super Labs” remained primarily in the West • Mid-West and the Pacific Northwest become inundated with addiction based laboratories • The Mid-West greatly impacted
The History of Methamphetamine
• Chemicals from retail stores used in the clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine
– – – – – – Pseudoephedrine tablets Safety match book striker strips Iodine Denatured alcohol Coleman and other camp fuels Anhydrous ammonia thefts from industry/supply
– Method of production was ephedrine reduction using red phosphorous and iodine – Easily injectable
The History of Methamphetamine
• 1930’s – Marketed as an over-the-counter treatment for asthmatics • By 1937 a prescription was required
The History of Methamphetamine
• The first recent seizure of a methamphetamine laboratory in Alaska was in 1996 in 70 Anchorage 60
– P2P (Phenyl-2-propanone) method – Fairly sophisticated process utilizing laboratory chemicals, apparatus and glassware
The History of Methamphetamine
History of Methamphetamine
Creation, usage, and perspectives
Sharon Zandman-Zeman, RN Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center and Detective Kurt Kornchuk Anchorage Police Department For The Alaska Forum on Crystal Methamphetamine
– Legal production of amphetamine drops 80% – Black market created for methamphetamine
The History of Methamphetamine
• On the West Coast, the number of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories increase.
• The 1970’s to the 1980’s are considered the “Golden Years of Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratories”
– Biker groups manufacturing 5 to 25 lb batches – Drug laws lag behind methods of manufacturing – Violence
• World War II – Distributed to allied and axis troops for use as a stimulant
– Provided to some American forces – Widely distributed by Germans to SS troops to increase efficiency of soldiers – Also provided to Japanese soldiers in large quantities
– – – – – – Ephedrine Bulk pseudoephedrine (not tablets) Phenylacetic Acid Hydriodic Acid Methylamine Ethyl Ether and other chemicals
The History of Methamphetamine