In the 2005 National Drug Threat Survey
(NDTS), 92 percent of law enforcement
agencies in Washington State ranked
methamphetamine (meth) as the greatest drug
threat in their area.1While domestic
methamphetamine production decreased
sharply in the last five years, compared to these
smaller labs, drug trafficking organizations
(DTO) are now playing a larger role in the
production and distribution of
methamphetamine. Officials estimate that 75
percent of the methamphetamine in Washington
State was imported in 2005, compared with 50
percent in 2001.2

In response to shifts in the methamphetamine
market, the 2006 Washington State Legislature
directed the Washington State Institute for Public
Policy to study\u2026

\u2026\u201ccriminal sentencing provisions of
neighboring states for all crimes involving
methamphetamine. The institute shall
report to the legislature on any criminal
sentencing increases necessary under
Washington law to reduce or remove any
incentives methamphetamine traffickers
and manufacturers may have to locate in
Washington.\u201d3

This report includes information from states in the
Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and
Idaho) and examines:

changes in both federal and state laws
restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine
(PSE), a major precursor in the
manufacture of methamphetamine;

efforts by law enforcement to reduce the
supply of methamphetamine from
smaller clandestine labs as well as
larger distribution networks importing
the drug; and

state and federal sentencing laws for
methamphetamine possession,
manufacture, and distribution.

Washington State has been noted as a leader in
the effort to curb methamphetamine abuse.
According to the National Crime Prevention
Council, \u201cwhat sets Washington State apart is its
commitment to coalesce local, state, and federal
efforts to combat methamphetamine in a
comprehensive, statewide initiative.\u201d4
Information about activities in neighboring states
will help ensure that statewide and local
initiatives have the greatest influence on reducing
methamphetamine supply and distribution.

Washington State
Institute for
Public Policy

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that can be
injected, smoked, snorted, or ingested. In the
smoked form, methamphetamine is also referred to
as \u201cice,\u201d \u201ccrystal,\u201d or \u201ccrank.\u201d Methamphetamine
production and use has been associated with a
range of criminal behaviors, particularly property
crimes and identity theft. In June 2006, the
National Association of Counties (NACo) surveyed
county sheriffs to assess how methamphetamine
impacted local law enforcement. Nearly half (48
percent) the sheriffs reported that at least 20
percent of arrests are related to methamphetamine
in their counties.5As trafficking of
methamphetamine increases, many law
enforcement officials report that crimes related to
methamphetamine use are growing more violent.6
In the same NACo survey, 48 percent of sheriffs
reported an increase in domestic violence and 41
percent reported an increase in simple assaults
\u201cbecause of the presence of methamphetamine.\u201d

Methamphetamine is both highly addictive and
costs little to produce. Throughout the 1990s
methamphetamine use grew steadily in the West
and Northwest. In 1990, the lifetime prevalence
of crystal methamphetamine use in the Western
states was 5.1 percent for young adults (ages 19
to 28). In other regions, lifetime use stood at
about 2 percent for this population. By 2005, the

The most reliable estimate of recent
methamphetamine use in the overall population
comes from the National Survey on Drug Use
and Health (NSDUH). As a result of changes in
this survey, annual statistics for
methamphetamine use prior to 2002 cannot be
compared to recent data. Since 2002, however,
there are indications that the overall use of
methamphetamine may be stabilizing. Exhibit 1
shows that between 1.5 and 1.7 percent of adults
between the ages of 18 and 25 reported using

group represents 30 to 40 percent of all
methamphetamine users. Among all persons
(age 12 and older), 0.5 to 0.7 percent of the
population reported methamphetamine use in the

Percentage of Total Population Reporting
Methamphetamine Use in the Past Year:
National Survey of Drug Use and Health
2002 \u2013 2005

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Series <http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/SAMHDA-
SERIES/00064.xml?token=1>

States with the highest rates of
methamphetamine use are displayed in Exhibit 2.
To compare state data from the NSDUH, multiple
years must be grouped together to adjust for
lower overall responses in each state. As Exhibit
2 shows, western and mid-western states make
up the vast majority of states with the highest
incidence of methamphetamine use.

Percentages of Persons Reporting Past Year
Methamphetamine Use, by States with Highest
Use: 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005

National treatment data from the Treatment
Episode Data Set (TEDS) show an overall
nationwide increase in the number of treatment
admissions (to facilities licensed by state
substance abuse agencies) for methamphetamine.
In 1995, methamphetamine was the primary drug
in 3.7 percent of all publicly funded treatment
admissions. By 2004, methamphetamine
treatment represented 8.2 percent of all publicly
funded treatment admissions.8

National data on treatment for methamphetamine
do not tell the entire story, however. In 2005,
more than one-third of treatment admissions
were related to methamphetamine usage in four
states (Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho, and California).
Among many western and mid-western states,
methamphetamine cases accounted for more
than 15 percent of treatment admissions. Exhibit
3 illustrates the regional differences in
methamphetamine treatment from 1995 to 2005.
For the years examined, methamphetamine use
(for all adults and young adults) in Washington
State was lower than many other states in the
western U.S.

The most common ingredient in methamphetamine
is pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, usually found in
cold medicine. Pseudoephedrine is chemically
changed to methamphetamine using household
ingredients such as ether, paint thinner, acetone,
anhydrous ammonia, iodine crystals, red
phosphorus, drain cleaner, battery acid, and
lithium. The process to create methamphetamine
is fairly simple, but highly dangerous and toxic. For
every pound of methamphetamine created, five to
six pounds of toxic byproducts are generated.

Since January 2005, 42 states have enacted
restrictions on the retail sale of ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine products. These restrictions
generally fall into the following categories:

Who can sell and purchase products,
along with requirements for logging
transactions.