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In Oklahoma, a country that is no stranger to the scourge of methamphetamine addiction, these years have been the pinnacle of the "shake and bake" method – a rudimentary way to make crystal meth bottle. liter.
In 2011, Wollmershauser and his narcotics unit found and dismantled hundreds of these vessels in methamphetamine laboratories around the city.
"People did not burn themselves just by cooking methamphetamine, but caused damage to other residents who had nothing to do with methamphetamine," he said. "It was a really horrible moment."
But Wollmershauser said that does not mean the end of Tulsa's methamphetamine problem. In fact, public servants across the state say they are capturing methamphetamine that is purer, cheaper and more expensive than ever before, most of it coming south of the border.
And while much of America is focused on fighting the devastating effects of opioid addiction, some states like Oklahoma are struggling to wage a new battle against an old enemy.
The role of Mexican superlabs
Richard Salter has been with the Drug Enforcement Administration for 27 years, most recently as the special agent for the state of Oklahoma.
He said that the problem of methamphetamine in Oklahoma is worsening and points out that the Mexican cartels – especially the powerful Sinaloa cartel – are the reason.
As it has become more difficult and dangerous to produce methamphetamine in the United States, the cartels have recognized the opportunity to fill the void.
"They came with a lot more pure and much cheaper methamphetamine and just flooded that part of the country," said Salter.
Salter said in 2012, the DEA was buying undercover methamphetamine for $ 1,100 an ounce. Today, his agents regularly receive ounces for only $ 250 to $ 450.
"It's as cheap as I've ever seen methamphetamine all my career," he said.
The reason for the drop in prices is the scale of production reached by the Mexican cartels. While "shake and bake" labs could produce many small batches, "superlabs" in Mexico produce hundreds of pounds a day.
Salter said most of the methamphetamine his agents seized crossed the US-Mexico border in California or Arizona before crossing the interstate highway network and temporary storage houses en route to the US. Oklahoma.
Along the border, US Customs and Border Protection officials also report a sharp increase in the amount of methamphetamine they seize.
Anne Maricich, deputy director of field operations at the agency's entry points in San Diego, said her local office had recorded a 50% increase in the amount of methamphetamine seized compared to the same period the last year.
"Other hard narcotics like cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, we see them – they are prevalent at our border posts, but far from the amounts of methamphetamine we see," she said.
In the streets of Oklahoma, this influx of cheap and powerful methamphetamine has had deadly consequences.
The number of fatal methamphetamine overdoses in the state has more than doubled in recent years, from 140 in 2012 to 335 deaths in 2016. In 2017, there were 327 overdose deaths, but this figure is incomplete and the actual number is probably higher. according to Mark Woodward, spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
"There is so much attention – not just in Oklahoma, but nationwide – about the opioid crisis," Woodward said. "But our most deadly individual drug is methamphetamine."
Perhaps no city has been more affected by this latest methamphetamine outbreak than Tulsa.
In the first six months of 2018, Wollmershauser reported that its special investigations division had already exceeded by 30 pounds the amount of methamphetamine seized in 2017.
He can not explain why the problem is more serious here than in other parts of the state, but he does not think that incarceration is the solution.
Wollmershauser said his department was trying to use more "diversion" tactics to help addicts get treatment without involving the criminal justice system, while aggressively pursuing cartels and other major distributors.
While the amount of methamphetamine his agents seized has increased, he said his department was on track to reduce the number of arrests by 40% this year.
"I think we are certainly targeting the right people who benefit from our city and our citizens, but the addiction is strong and difficult," said Wollmershauser.
How meth fueled a crisis behind bars
Lindsay McAteer's struggles against anxiety and depression brought her to heal as a teenager.
At the age of 14, her boyfriend at the time initiated him to methamphetamine.
"I immediately liked it," McAteer said. "That gave me a false sense of identity and a false sense of accomplishment."
This was the beginning of a 20-year fight against drugs that almost ended with a life sentence.
After using methamphetamine for several years, she said that she stopped for a short time, but after being fired and her house seized, her addiction was out of control.
"I had nothing," McAteer said. "I lost everything, and methamphetamine was able to make me feel that everything was fine, despite the fact that nothing was OK."
In addition to using methamphetamine, McAteer began selling the drug. She was finally arrested for trafficking and found herself with a 12-year sentence in perpetuity.
With the door of a prison cell, the only other option open to him, McAteer joined the WIR in August 2014.
Mimi Tarrasch, Senior Executive Director of WIR, said that many of the participants in the program are multiple substance users, but that at least 60% have seen their addictions lead them to methamphetamine.
"Very early, because it's a stimulant, they feel good and it makes them productive and motivated," said Roxanne Hinther, clinical director of WIR. "But eventually they can not take care of their children and they lose everything they have."
Tarrasch said most of the women in her program have been battling addiction for 13 to 15 years, which is hugely affecting their health and well-being, as well as that of their families. Many have also experienced traumatic events, ranging from child abuse to sexual assault and domestic violence.
Using a range of treatments, training and education, the program offers women who spend time behind bars a second chance to lead productive and fulfilling lives.
McAteer graduated from WIR in 2016 and has been actively recovering for over four years. Today, she works as a Housing Compliance Specialist for the Mental Health Association Oklahoma.
Since the launch of Women in Recovery in 2009, 390 women have graduated, with 6.7% of graduates relapsing or falling into criminal activity.
"I can say that recovery is definitely possible, and I can say that treatment is the answer to punishment," McAteer said. "It's not foolproof – I can not say that everyone is able to use this [program] the way it is designed to work, but the vast majority of us do it. "
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