Meth - The Yin Yang Effect

Just another example of how our nation's drug policies are short-sighted, and futile. Meanwhile, catching a cold is worse now, because they had to take the crack out of over the counter meds.

Crystal cartels alter face of U.S. meth epidemic

International gangs fill void after cops crack down on makeshift home labs

After years of raiding 'redneck labs' and arresting local methamphetamine cooks, drug squads in Georgia appeared to be gaining the upper hand on the makeshift operations in 2004, when the number of busts declined sharply from a peak of more than 800 the previous year.

But the glow of success quickly faded as international drug cartels distributing a purer form of the drug known as "ice" rushed in to fill the void.

'The labs start to decline and you're happy,' said Phil Price, special agent in charge of regional drug enforcement for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. 'But the imported meth has really hit us hard. . It's cheaper now to buy it on the streets."


Price said the shift has made the drug so abundant that distributors now commonly "front" up to 2 pounds of ice to street dealers on credit. It also has turned the Atlanta area into a distribution hub for the East Coast, he said.

'Unfortunately, I think we're going to go through what Miami went through with cocaine,' he said.

What is happening in Georgia is occurring in many other states, the unexpected result of a strong law enforcement push against home meth labs and new limits on the purchase of cold remedies used to make the drug. The state's dilemma also illustrates the difficulties of America’s battle with methamphetamine, which has addictive powers comparable to crack cocaine, but is in many ways harder to control.