Local News

Meth seizures indicate rise in use

(Photo Supplied/Allen County Sheriff)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The Fort Wayne Police Department is notice a rise in the use of methamphetamines in the city.

The statistics are showing meth seizures are in danger of surpassing last year’s record levels.  1,180 grams of meth have been seized so far this year.  That is in comparison to last year’s record amount of 2,984 grams.

Captain Kevin Hunter with the Fort Wayne Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division said “We’re just seeing the market is just flooded with meth at this time.”

Hunter says crystal meth is 98 percent pure and very cheap.  A typical dose is a gram or less and one ounce is about 28 grams.  Capt. Hunter states that an ounce used to cost $1,200 and now only costs about $400.

The Allen County Board of Health’s needle exchange program indicates they are seeing a rise in meth users asking for clean needles.  Officers and emergency personnel are seeing mixtures of methamphetamine and fentanyl along with Heroin and fentanyl.

Hunter says that methamphetamine use in the middle 90’s was considered primarily a rural problem. The drug can bring on anxiety, nervousness and paranoia; however, it can also make you feel like “Superman” and can cause someone to stay awake for days.

41 people have died in Allen County from drug overdoses this year, according to the Journal Gazette.  However, that number could go up when toxicology reports are finished.

The number of deaths from drug overdoses in Allen County varies per year.  For instance, in 2014, Allen County had 44 drug overdose deaths and in 2016, the number went up to 68.  However, in 2017 the number of deaths surged to 127, and then dropped to 108 in 2018.

 

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