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Utah Drug Alcohol Addiction Recovery and Treatment Programs and Centers
Mexican poly-drug smuggling organizations control all areas of illicit narcotics distribution in Utah. Supply sources for meth, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana are mainly situated in the Southwest, Mexico, California, and the Pacific Northwest.
Kilogram amounts of cocaine are accessible in Utah. Mexican organizations control large-scale cocaine distribution, and many other groups have the ability to distribute kilogram amounts. Costs for cocaine powder continue to be stable. Crack cocaine is accessible in limited amounts, with the transformation of powder cocaine into crack occurring at the local level.
Heroin is a severe issue in Utah. Mexican brown and black tar heroin are accessible throughout Utah, with multi-ounce and larger amounts mainly distributed in the main cities. The majority of Mexican heroin distribution organizations hire “runners” who deliver heroin-filled balloons to their clients in parking lots located in Salt Lake, Davis, and Utah counties. Mexico and Southern California are the source regions for multi-ounce and pound amounts of heroin. Most Mexican organizations smuggling in heroin also distribute cocaine and meth.
Over the last several years, apprehensions of meth labs have decreased significantly in Utah. In 2007, only 9 labs and/or dumpsites were apprehended in all of Utah. This is the lowest amount apprehended in recent memory, especially when compared to 272 in 1999. This decrease is caused by quite a few factors, such as strict precursor legislation, community awareness and education campaigns, plus aggressive law enforcement efforts. Presently, the majority of labs found in Utah are small in size.
The drastic decline in domestically produced meth has been accompanied by a rise in the accessibility of Mexican meth. Data from former meth cooks indicate that buying Mexican meth is now a lot easier and cheaper than obtaining the chemicals and the secure location that is necessary to manufacture it.
Mexican poly-drug smuggling organizations control the distribution of meth, the majority of which is produced in Mexico, southern California, or the Southwest. The meth supplied by these organizations has elevated cost in the past year. In many recent investigations, smugglers charged $1,100 per ounce of meth, as opposed to $650-$700 per ounce in 2005.
Ecstasy and other designer drugs are an issue along the Wasatch Front. They are accessible mainly through bars, clubs, raves, and private parties. Distribution of Ecstasy and other designer drugs in Utah is dominated by domestic criminal organizations with local supply sources mainly situated in California. Domestic organizations generally obtain multi-thousand pill amounts of Ecstasy tablets. One domestic dealer charged $6.00-$7.50 per pill and made 50 cents profit per tablet. At the consumer level, costs increase to $10-$25 per tablet.
Most of the marijuana found in Utah is derived from Mexico. Marijuana is also produced in the remote regions of Utah, which are most conducive for growing activities because of the fertile soil. Further, the importation of marijuana from BC, Canada continues to be active in Utah.
Present investigations show that diversion of OxyContin remains an issue in Utah. Main strategies of diversion being cited are illicit sale and distribution by health care professionals and personnel, doctor shopping, forged prescriptions, and employee theft. In Utah, diazepam, meperidine, and methadone were also cited as being among the most frequently diverted and abused pharmaceuticals.
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