Methamphetamine distribution and abuse are increasing threats in Ohio, but not to the extent they are in other states in the Midwest and West. Transportation of methamphetamine from Mexico, as well as a surge in methamphetamine laboratories in Ohio and surrounding states, has led to increased methamphetamine availability in Ohio.

Many law enforcement agencies in Ohio are noting a change in the typical methamphetamine user. In the past, users normally were blue-collar workers in their late twenties or early thirties; now, older teens and those in their early twenties account for many of the users. These new, younger users generally are from middle- to upper-class neighborhoods and do not consider methamphetamine dangerous or addictive.

Abuse

Amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse in Ohio is prevalent and comparative to rates of abuse in other states in the region. NHSDA estimates indicate that in 1999, 314,874 Ohio residents aged 12 or older reported using amphetamine/methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime. The percentage of individuals aged 12 or older reporting amphetamine/methamphetamine use at least once in their lifetime in Ohio (3.4) is slightly less than in some Great Lakes states, such as Illinois (3.5), and slightly more than in others, such as Michigan (2.8).

The number of publicly funded treatment admissions for amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse increased 2 percent from 1998 to 1999. In 1998, 339 admissions to Ohio's treatment programs listed amphetamine/methamphetamine as the primary substance of abuse, compared with 348 in 1999.

Caucasians are the primary amphetamine/methamphetamine users in Ohio, accounting for 77 percent of all admissions for amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse. Abuse of amphetamine/methamphetamine increased among African Americans from 1998 to 1999. In 1998, African Americans accounted for 18.4 percent of all admissions for amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse, compared with 20.4 percent in 1999.

The rate of amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse appears to relate to the education level and employment status of users. Individuals with a high school education or less accounted for 74.3 of all admissions for amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse in 1999. Unemployed individuals and those not in the labor force accounted for 66.3 percent of admissions for amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse in Ohio.

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Availability

Methamphetamine increasingly is available in most areas of Ohio. The Ohio BCI&I indicates that methamphetamine is available in nearly all districts throughout the state, usually in ounce quantities. The Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, and Youngstown DEA Resident Offices note the availability of methamphetamine in at least retail quantities. In October 1999, more than half of the 140 agencies in Ohio that responded to a Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network (MAGLOCLEN) methamphetamine survey indicated increases in methamphetamine availability and methamphetamine-related arrests in their areas. All 15 Ohio law enforcement agencies responding to the 2000 National Drug Threat Survey reported that methamphetamine is available in their areas.

The average purity of methamphetamine in Ohio varies by unit sold. Kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Ohio average 73 percent pure; ounce and gram quantities average 59 percent. Kilogram quantities often are broken down into ounce or gram quantities and sold to midlevel or street-level distributors. At this point, diluents such as MSM/DMSO₂ often are added, decreasing the purity and extending the amount of the methamphetamine that can be sold. Usually as ounce and gram quantities are resold to other distributors, more diluents are added.

Relatively stable prices for any illicit drug often suggest that there is a steady supply. Methamphetamine prices in Ohio and surrounding areas have remained relatively stable since 1995. The average price of an ounce of methamphetamine in Ohio in 1995 was $1,420, compared with $1,375 in 1997 and $1,370 in 1999.

As the methamphetamine euphoric effect begins to diminish, the user enters a stage called "tweaking." It is during this stage that the user is most prone to violence, delusions, and paranoid behavior. These unpredictable and violent behaviors have prompted law enforcement agencies to establish guidelines for encountering a methamphetamine user. Officers are advised to stay 7 to 10 feet away from the user because coming closer could be perceived as threatening. Officers also are advised not to shine bright lights at the user, who could become violent if blinded.

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Production

The increasing number of methamphetamine laboratories in Ohio is becoming a significant problem. In FY1997, the DEA Detroit Field Division seized 19 methamphetamine laboratories, 8 of which were in Ohio. The number of small methamphetamine laboratories discovered in north central, northeastern, and southeastern Ohio has increased, according to the Ohio BCI&I. These small operations frequently are referred to as "Beavis and Butthead" or "White Boy" laboratories. In north central Ohio, mobile methamphetamine laboratories have been discovered in single-story hotel rooms.

The Ohio HIDTA reports an increase in the production and distribution of methamphetamine in its jurisdiction. In Cincinnati, locally operated laboratories are increasing the availability of methamphetamine in the metropolitan area. For example, on June 29, 2000, DEA and BCI&I agents raided a farmhouse in southern Warren County, near Cincinnati, that was used to produce and sell methamphetamine. The DEA Cleveland Resident Office reported six methamphetamine laboratories seized in FY1998 and nine in FY1999. These laboratories were capable of producing multiounce to multikilogram quantities of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine consumed in northeastern Ohio predominately is associated with the laboratories that continue to emerge in the Akron area. On June 15, 2000, a University of Akron secretary was charged with stealing chemicals from the university and supplying them to a local man who used the chemicals to produce methamphetamine in the basement of his home.

The methamphetamine production methods most commonly used in Ohio are the ephedrine reduction and Nazi methods. Methamphetamine cookers in the Dayton area have been using the Nazi method, which usually yields an ounce or less of methamphetamine per batch. Methamphetamine producers in Cuyahoga Falls were using the ephedrine reduction method. Most MAGLOCLEN members in Ohio note that the ephedrine reduction method is prevalent in their jurisdictions.

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Transportation

Local independent criminal groups, outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) and, to a lesser extent, Mexican criminal groups primarily are responsible for shipping methamphetamine into and distributing it throughout Ohio. Of law enforcement agencies in Ohio that responded to a 1999 MAGLOCLEN survey, 68 percent indicated that local independent criminal groups mostly were responsible for the production, transportation, and distribution of methamphetamine in their areas; 11 percent identified OMGs as responsible for methamphetamine distribution in their areas. Although Mexican criminal groups are responsible for much of the methamphetamine available nationally, only 5 percent of survey respondents indicated that Mexican DTOs were transporting methamphetamine in their areas. The Cincinnati DEA Resident Office reports that Mexican nationals are responsible for most of the methamphetamine encountered in its jurisdiction. All DEA Resident Offices in Ohio cite local independent criminal groups as responsible for some of the methamphetamine production, transportation, and distribution operations in the state.

Methamphetamine is shipped into Ohio predominantly through mail and package delivery services. These two methods specifically are used to transport methamphetamine from California to northwestern Ohio. The Scioto County Sheriff's Office indicates that methamphetamine is shipped into its area from California through package delivery services. Three of six Ohio law enforcement agencies responding to methamphetamine transportation issues in the 2000 National Drug Threat Survey stated that methamphetamine is shipped into their areas through package delivery services or the mail.

Methamphetamine transported into Ohio by passenger vehicle originates predominantly in Southwest Border states such as Arizona, California, and Texas. In Cincinnati, methamphetamine is shipped concealed inside private and rental vehicles. All six Ohio law enforcement agencies responding to methamphetamine transportation issues in the 2000 National Drug Threat Survey stated that the drug is shipped concealed in vehicles. Five law enforcement agencies responding to methamphetamine source area issues in the 2000 National Drug Threat Survey reported that the drug is shipped from areas in California such as Los Angeles and San Diego. Respondents to a MAGLOCLEN methamphetamine survey in October 1999 most often identified California as a point of origin. State law enforcement authorities report that methamphetamine is shipped from California into southwestern Ohio. Methamphetamine also is shipped into Cincinnati from Mexico through the Southwest Border.

Local independent groups are responsible for most wholesale methamphetamine distribution in the state. Eight Ohio law enforcement agencies responding to wholesale distribution issues in the 2000 National Drug Threat Survey cited local independents as the primary wholesalers of methamphetamine. Three of the eight respondents indicated that the local independent groups in their areas were Caucasian. The DEA Cincinnati Resident Office reports that independent groups are responsible for most methamphetamine distribution in the Cincinnati area. Sixty-eight percent of all law enforcement agencies in Ohio responding to the MAGLOCLEN survey named local independent groups as responsible for most methamphetamine in their areas. Despite the apparent dominance of local independent groups, there are indications that Mexican criminal groups are gaining a foothold in wholesale methamphetamine distribution.

Local production is another source of wholesale quantities of methamphetamine. As noted, there has been an increase in the number of small methamphetamine laboratories being discovered in north central, northeastern, and southeastern Ohio. An increase in the production and distribution of methamphetamine in the Ohio HIDTA area also is evident. Methamphetamine laboratories emerging in the Akron area are capable of producing multiounce to multikilogram quantities of methamphetamine. Fifty percent of Ohio law enforcement agencies responding to a MAGLOCLEN survey reported that methamphetamine produced in the state is distributed in the state.

Local independent dealers, mainly Caucasian males, are the principal retail distributors of methamphetamine. Local Caucasians are conducting street-level sales in Columbus, and local independents distribute methamphetamine in other areas of Franklin County. In Chillicothe, a Caucasian dealer was arrested after receiving methamphetamine by mail from a Mexican criminal group.

OMGs such as the Hells Angels also distribute methamphetamine in the state. The Hells Angels is active in methamphetamine distribution in Akron and Cleveland. A 1998 OMG assessment conducted by MAGLOCLEN indicated that these gangs largely distribute methamphetamine from the bars that members frequent. OMGs also participate in swap meets and attend concerts to distribute methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine distribution has been increasing at raves (all-night dance parties) and on college campuses in Ohio. Older teens and those in their midtwenties are abusing and distributing methamphetamine at raves. According to a MAGLOCLEN methamphetamine report published in April 2000, methamphetamine distribution has increased on college campuses throughout the state.

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