*An analysis of this information will be found at the end of the article.
The rise in drug overdose deaths in the United States has been alarming, with 2020 and 2021 marking the deadliest periods for drug overdose deaths on record. One area of concern is the increase in methamphetamine use and its connection to heroin and fentanyl use. A recent study (Hoopsick & Yockey, 2023) examined trends in methamphetamine-related mortality from 1999 to 2021, and the extent to which these deaths co-involved heroin or fentanyl.
The study found a staggering 50-fold increase in methamphetamine-related mortality between 1999 and 2021. It also revealed a significant rise in the proportion of these deaths that co-involved heroin or fentanyl, peaking at 61.2% in 2021. This information highlights the growing concern for public health, particularly for individuals engaging in polysubstance use.
Methamphetamine and opioid co-use may be driven by users seeking specific experiences not achieved by using either drug alone. The last two decades have also seen an increase in the contamination of the unregulated drug supply with fentanyl and fentanyl-related analogs, suggesting that intentional and unintentional co-use may be contributing to the rise in methamphetamine-related mortality in the United States.
Analysis
This study shows us what we have all been seeing for the past few years. When we make interdiction stops, we almost always find fentanyl with methamphetamine. Meth is also at its lowest price I've ever seen. When I first started working narcotics, we were paying $15,000 a pound. Now, narcs in california are paying $1,000 a pound with some reporting that they have been offered bulk pricing at $500 a pound. With an open border and precursors flowing in from China unabated, this problem will only get worse. Working in the LE realm, the best that you can do is keep educating yourself on the latest trends and keep protecting yourself from the hazards these drugs present to your health.
Reference: Hoopsick, R. A., & Yockey, R. A. (2023). Methamphetamine-related mortality in the United States: Co-involvement of heroin and fentanyl, 1999–2021. American Journal of Public Health, 113(4), 416-419. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307212