Is meth making a comeback in Colorado?
Is meth making a comeback in Colorado? For the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about opioids, but new health reports remind us, the meth problem is far from over.
“Heroin, opioids, obviously are in the news. They get a lot of attention but we still see a significant amount of meth,” said Lt. John Koch with Colorado Springs Police Department’s Metro Vice, Narcotics, and Intelligence Division.
“Meth has in some ways been forgotten by the public,” he said, “It’s out of the public-eye but it absolutely is still something we deal with on a very consistent basis.”
The arrest numbers back up his statement.
According to Colorado Springs PD, in 2016 there were 273 heroin arrests, 617 for meth. In 2017, there were 323 arrests for heroin, 792 for meth. And in 2018 the trend continued with 339 heroin arrests and 801 arrests for meth.
“[It’s] something that people struggle with at all income levels, all backgrounds, all education levels. We see it all over the city,” he said.
In 2017, fatal meth overdoses actually surpassed heroin in Colorado for the first time in a decade, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Lt. Koch says it’s about economics and right now, since meth is cheaper than heroin.
“An ounce of meth is about $200,” he said, “An ounce of heroin is about $1,000 on the street. So we look just at those numbers alone. The cost is a significant factor. Two to three years ago they were roughly the same price and that’s not the case anymore.”
Robert Ochsner has been the Medical Director for Recovery Village at Palmer Lake for more than three years.
“Methamphetamine releases ungodly amounts of dopamine in your brain,” he said, “So that one time use could influence future uses easily.”
Ochsner says many of the patients he sees use illegal drugs to self-medicate.
“To manage and controlled depression, anxiety, PTSD-type symptoms,” he said.
Both he and Lt. Koch say they will continue to do their part but it’s also a community issue that needs greater attention.
