Florida Meth News

Meth lab on wheels discovered
Orlando Sentinel, July 11, 2007
TAVARES - Lake deputies say they discovered a mobile methamphetamine lab late Monday night, after they pulled over an Ocoee man driving a rental truck and towing a pickup on State Road 44. Read more.

New meth laws show varying effectiveness
Pensacola News Journal, July 3, 2007
Last year saw first decline of new millennium, but officials fear the downward trend won't last. Read more.

Polk Still Seen as Meth 'Hot Spot'
The Ledger, June 4, 2007
BARTOW - The dwindling number of methamphetamine lab busts in Polk County may suggest the county has shed its reputation of being the Meth Capital of Florida. It's a feel-good thought, but drug treatment counselor Libbie Combee said it's not reality. Read more.

Life or Meth
Florida Crossroads, 2007
Methamphetamine goes by many names: speed, crank, crystal or ice. But no matter what you call it, authorities consider meth to be the most dangerous and most destructive drug of the millennium, taking a direct hit on Florida. What's being done to curb the problem and who is most at risk? Florida Crossroads travels to areas where members of law enforcement say the drug is part of everyday culture, where it's become a matter of Life or Meth. Watch the video.

Campaign Launched to Combat South Florida Meth Crisis
Miami Herald, September 28, 2006
Coalition Urges Gay Men to Take a Stand Against Crystal Meth by Learning About the Dangers of This Increasingly Popular 'Party Drug'. Read more.

Crystal meth becoming a Southwest Florida problem
NBC-2.com, May 16, 2006
LEE COUNTY: Crystal meth has quickly become what many believe is the most dangerous drug in America today, mainly because it's made with common household products. Meth has quietly surrounded Southwest Florida and it's only a matter of time before it hits your neighborhood. Read more.

Crystal meth wave spreads across Florida
South Florida Business Journal, March 10, 2006
After seeing the havoc the highly addictive drug methamphetamine has caused for communities and businesses in Western states and the Midwest, Florida law enforcement officials and legislators are taking steps to combat meth as it quickly spreads across the state. Read more.

Crystal meth may enhance spread of HIV among gay men
Sun Sentinal, April 19, 2005
Although small, the first study of crystal methamphetamine use among gay men in South Florida showed that the drug can spark high-risk sex and may have contributed to a jump in HIV/AIDS in recent years. Read more.

National Meth News

21 defendants indicted in "Operation River Ice"
The Jackson Sun, July 17, 2007 A four-year federal investigation has halted a multi-state methamphetamine operation intent on distributing the drug to Decatur, Perry and Henderson counties.Read more.

Bill Hits Flavored Meth Hard
Times Record, May 23, 2007
WASHINGTON — Methamphetamine cooks who add coloring or flavoring to the drug to entice young users would face tougher federal prison sentences under legislation introduced in Congress on Tuesday. Read more.

Local director explores meth among gays
The Desert Sun, January 17, 2007
As the mostly male audience settled into their seats, some eating popcorn and chatting with friends at the Palm Springs International Film Festival premiere of "Meth"on Monday, filmmaker Todd Ahlberg warned them about his documentary. Read more.

Meth lurks everywhere
The Desert Sun, December 18, 2006
Don Keating’s daily fight against methamphetamine begins at his front door in the historic Warm Sands neighborhood of Palm Springs. For three years, he has found remnants of the drug on his sidewalks and streets, sometimes right in his front yard. A hypodermic needle here. A prone addict in the midst of a mind-numbing high there. Read more.

The face of addiction
The Desert Sun, December 18, 2006
Methamphetamine may have at one time been considered ‘poor man’s cocaine,’ but it is no longer solely the domain of the financially challenged. Read more.

Do Meth Addicts Want Your Identity
ABC News, June 2, 2005
If you think you're safe from identity theft because you shred documents before disposing of them, Pierce County, Wash., prosecutors have some people you should meet. Read more.