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National Drug Intelligence Center Utah Drug Threat Assessment March 2003 Other Dangerous DrugsThe category of other dangerous drugs includes the stimulant MDMA, the hallucinogen LSD, the depressant GHB and its analogs, and diverted pharmaceuticals such as benzodiazepines, hydrocodones, oxycodones, and Ritalin. MDMA poses the most significant threat to Utah in this category, as it is increasingly available and abused in the state, particularly in the metropolitan areas of Ogden, Provo, and Salt Lake City. The diversion and abuse of pharmaceuticals represent a significant threat to Utah, and individuals of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status abuse these drugs.
MDMAThe increasing availability and abuse of MDMA, particularly among teenagers and young adults, pose a significant and growing threat to Utah. MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also known as E, ecstasy, and X, was patented in 1914 in Germany where it was sometimes given to psychiatric patients to assist in psychotherapy, a practice never approved by the American Psychological Association or the Food and Drug Administration. Sometimes called the hug drug, MDMA reportedly helps users to become more "in touch" with others and "opens channels of communication." However, abuse of the drug can cause psychological problems similar to those associated with methamphetamine and cocaine abuse including confusion, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, and paranoia. The physical effects can include muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, blurred vision, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. MDMA abuse can also cause a marked increase in body temperature leading to muscle breakdown, kidney failure, cardiovascular system failure, stroke, or seizure as reported in some fatal cases. Researchers suggest that MDMA abuse may result in long-term and sometimes permanent damage to parts of the brain that are critical to thought and memory. MDMA is one of the most popular drugs at raves. Rave managers often sell water, pacifiers, and glow sticks at rave parties. "Ravers" require water to offset dehydration caused by MDMA, use pacifiers, Popsicle sticks, and large wads of gum to prevent the grinding of teeth--a common side effect of MDMA use--and wave glow sticks in front of their eyes because MDMA stimulates light perception. Other paraphernalia associated with club drug abuse at raves include vaporizing cold ointment, candies that are used to conceal the drugs (by absorbing the drugs or by intermingling drugs with candy), and testing kits (to determine whether the tablets that users purchase actually include MDMA). Some ravers apply vaporizing cold ointment directly to their nostrils to experience a "freeze," a cold sensation enhanced by the effects of MDMA. MDMA increasingly is abused and available in the metropolitan areas of Ogden, Provo, and Salt Lake City. Law enforcement officials in Salt Lake City report that MDMA is now considered the drug of choice among abusers and has replaced marijuana as the first drug of abuse for many young people. Most of the MDMA available in Utah is produced outside the United States, usually in the Netherlands and Belgium. No MDMA production is known to occur in Utah; however, in 1989 the State Bureau of Investigation and DEA seized an operational MDMA laboratory that was located at a research facility in Salt Lake City. According to the DEA Denver Division, the degree of MDMA production in the region may be greater than what has been observed or the number of seizures indicates. MDMA recipes can be easily obtained from the Internet and published books; laboratories producing MDMA and its analog, MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine), have been encountered elsewhere in the United States. Individual distributors, Caucasian criminal groups, and Israeli nationals are the dominant transporters of MDMA into the state. MDMA generally is transported into Utah from California, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Canada via package delivery services, couriers aboard commercial aircraft and, to a lesser extent, in private and rental vehicles. In 2001 federal law enforcement authorities in Provo seized 110,000 MDMA tablets that were transported from the Netherlands to Provo via a package delivery service. In July 2000 during a routine traffic stop on I-15, Utah Highway Patrol officers seized 1,360 MDMA tablets and arrested two individuals who transported the drug in a private vehicle from Seattle to Orem. Caucasian and Israeli criminal groups and local independent dealers distribute wholesale quantities of MDMA in Utah. Wholesale distributors sell MDMA to Caucasian teenagers and college students who typically distribute retail quantities of the drug. In May 2001 law enforcement officers in Davis County seized 91 tablets of MDMA and arrested a local Caucasian man who attempted to sell the drug to an undercover federal agent. The arrest closed an 8-month investigation, during which DEA determined that the man was responsible for approximately 80 percent of the MDMA distributed in Utah. The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than 5 years in federal prison. According to DEA, in FY2002 MDMA sold for $7,000 per 500 dosage units and $150,000 per 25,000 dosage units. MDMA usually is distributed to individuals at raves, nightclubs, and other parties, where it sells for $20 to $30 per dose.
LSDThe distribution and abuse of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) pose a minimal threat to Utah. LSD, also known as acid, boomers, and yellow sunshine, is a hallucinogen that induces abnormalities in sensory perceptions. The effects of LSD are unpredictable depending upon the amount taken, the environment in which it is abused, and the abuser's personality, mood, and expectations. Abusers may feel the effects for up to 12 hours. The physical effects include dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, nausea, numbness, weakness, insomnia, dry mouth, and tremors. Two long-term disorders associated with LSD use are persistent psychosis and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (flashbacks). LSD typically is taken orally. LSD is available in powder and liquid forms, in tablets or capsules, on pieces of blotter paper that absorb the drug, and on small candies. It is available primarily at raves, bars, and nightclubs in large cities and college towns in Utah. Most abusers are high school and college age individuals. Some abusers hide liquid LSD in breath mint vials or eyedrop bottles. Law enforcement agencies in several jurisdictions report that LSD also is applied to cookies, candies, and breakfast cereal. According to the DEA Denver Division, LSD blotters and tablets are the most common forms available. In Salt Lake City in FY2000, wholesale quantities of LSD sold for $250 per 100 dosage units, and retail quantities sold for $5 per dosage unit, according to DEA. Most LSD distributed in Utah is produced in California and Oregon and typically is transported into the state via package delivery services as well as in private and rental vehicles. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers and, to a lesser extent, college and high school age individuals are the primary distributors of LSD in Utah. Law enforcement respondents to the National Drug Threat Survey 2001 in Ogden, Orem, and Salt Lake City reported that Caucasian local independent dealers are the primary wholesale and retail distributors of LSD.
GHB and AnalogsThe threat to Utah from GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and its analogs is relatively low. GHB is a depressant that occurs naturally in the body and is necessary for full functioning of the brain and central nervous system. GHB analogs (GBL, BD, GHV, and GVL) are drugs that possess chemical structures that closely resemble GHB. GHB and its analogs are also known as liquid MDMA, scoop, grievous bodily harm, and Georgia home boy. Overdoses can occur quickly; some signs include drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, impaired breathing and, ultimately, death. Abusers also can experience insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating. Using the drug simultaneously with methamphetamine increases the risk of seizure. GHB and its analogs are eliminated from the body quickly, making it difficult for treatment providers to detect. The drug increasingly is involved in poisonings, overdoses, drug-facilitated sexual assaults, and fatalities nationwide. GHB and its analogs are available in Utah primarily at colleges and universities, social venues such as bars, nightclubs, raves, strip clubs and, to a lesser extent, some private trancemission parties. Young adults, usually Caucasian, are the principal producers, distributors, and abusers of the drug. Recipes and do-it-yourself kits for GHB production are available on several Internet sites. GHB is produced in Utah. A recent trend in GHB production involves producing the analog BD (1,4-butanediol), which metabolizes into GHB in the body after ingestion. In FY2001 GHB sold for $30 per dosage unit in the Salt Lake City area, according to DEA.
Diverted PharmaceuticalsThe abuse of diverted pharmaceuticals poses a significant and growing threat to Utah. The most commonly diverted pharmaceuticals in Utah are benzodiazepines, hydrocodones, oxycodones, and Ritalin. Diverted pharmaceuticals are widely abused throughout Utah. However, abuse of these drugs may be underreported due to their general social acceptance. The abuse of diverted pharmaceuticals does not appear to be limited to any particular ethnic, age, gender, or socioeconomic group in the state.
Forged and fraudulent prescriptions remain the most common diversion methods used throughout the state. Physicians and healthcare professionals directly divert prescription medications for themselves and for others by overprescribing or using other prescription scams. Pharmaceuticals are also frequently stolen from medical facilities, pharmacies, wholesalers, and warehouses, often by the employees of these establishments. According to the Iron/Garfield Counties Task Force, Ritalin (methylphenidate) is distributed by some of the parents of school age children who have a prescription for the drug. Diverted pharmaceuticals typically sell for $15 or less per tablet. Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Librium, Valium) sell for $2 to $5 per tablet, hydrocodones (Lorcet, Lortab, Vicodin) for $2 to $15 per tablet, and oxycodones (OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, Tylox) for $2 to $15 per tablet.
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