State
Facts Population: 5,894,121 Law
Enforcement Officers: 11,080 State Prison
Population: 15,219 Probation Population: 158,213
Violent Crime Rate National Ranking:
27 |
2001
Federal Drug Seizures Cocaine: 174.2 kgs.
Heroin: 15.1 kgs. Methamphetamine:
46.0 kgs. Marijuana: 4,182.8 kgs.
Clandestine Laboratories: 1,477 (DEA, state,
and local) |
Top 14 cities in WashingtonShoreline Renton Lakewood Kennewick Bellingham Yakima Kent Federal Way Everett Bellevue Vancouver Spokane Tacoma Seattle
Drug Addiction and Addiction Treatment
Centers
Drug Situation: Sharing a border
with Canada, Washington is a transshipment point for drugs and monies entering
Canada, as well as a Canadian pseudoephedrine, Canadian marijuana (BC Bud), and
other drugs entering the United States. Washington has severe clandestine
methamphetamine laboratory problems and is third in the nation for the
manufacture of methamphetamine and methamphetamine abuse is widely noted.
Mexican National poly-drug organizations dominate the drug trade..
Cocaine: Cocaine and
crack cocaine are readily available and are the drug of choice among many
seeking drug addiction treatment. Crack cocaine is largely limited to inner
city areas. Cocaine is consumed in the state, and smuggled into Canada for
redistribution, where it commands a higher price than in the United States.
According to a recent Royal Canadian Mounted Police report, up to 24 tons of
cocaine enter Canada each year .
Heroin:
Mexican black tar and brown heroin are the primary types of heroin found
throughout Washington. Mexican poly-drug trafficking organizations remain the
primary source of black tar heroin in Washington. Heroin is smuggled from
Mexico to Washington by a variety of methods, including vehicles equipped with
concealed compartments. A significant number of addicted individuals report
heroin addiction as their reason for entering addiction treatment
centers.
 Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine is one of the most
widely abused controlled substances in Washington and one the the main reasons
individuals seek drug addiction treatment. Two varieties are
generally encountered; Mexican methamphetamine, which is either manufactured
locally or obtained from sources in Mexico, California, or other Southwest
Border states, and methamphetamine which is produced locally by area violators.
Of the two types, Mexican methamphetamine continues to flood the market.
Methamphetamine is available in multi-kilogram amounts throughout the state.
Canadian pseudoephedrine, utilized in the manufacture of methamphetamine, is
frequently seized at clandestine laboratory sites.
Club Drugs: MDMA
(Ecstasy), is smuggled into the state from elsewhere in the country, Canada,
and Europe. Club drugs are growing in popularity across the state, and have
been targeted in several successful investigations by the DEA. Smuggling
methods have included MDMA shipped in express mail packages, concealed in
lumber, hidden compartments in vehicles, and transported in luggage on
international or domestic flights.
Marijuana: Marijuana is readily available
in multi-pound quantities throughout the state. Three types are normally
encountered-locally grown (either from indoor or outdoor grow operations),
Canadian BC Bud, and Mexican marijuana. Of these varieties, locally grown
sinsemilla and BC Bud are preferred, because they have a far superior THC
content than Mexican. Canadian BC Bud is the most prevalent variety in many
areas, given the proximity to the border and the extent of cross border
smuggling.
Other Drugs: The
primary method of pharmaceutical drug diversion continues to be forgery and
telephone prescriptions by non-registrants. Illegal dispensing and prescribing
by practitioners still exists in the state. OxyContin is often the target of
criminals involved in burglary and armed robbery. These drugs, along with
marijuana and club drugs, are often reported as drugs of choice or drugs abused
in conjunction with other drugs of choice among addicted individuals upon entry
to drug rehab centers.
DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams:
This cooperative program
with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in
response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and
cities across the nation. There have been 348 deployments completed resulting
in 14,794 arrests of violent drug criminals as of June 2002. There have been
nine MET deployments in the State of Washington since the inception of the
program: Puyallup, Everett, Chehalis, Thurston/Yelm, Seattle, Lakewood,
Lynnwood, Vancouver, and Bremerton. These deployments resulted in 370 arrests
and the seizure of 10.8 pounds of cocaine; 2 pounds of crack cocaine; 6.7
pounds of heroin; 23.5 pounds of marijuana; 19 pounds of methamphetamine and 8
clandestine methamphetamine labs; 3 indoor marijuana growing rooms; and 7,000
MDMA tablets. Also seized were 90 firearms, 67 vehicles valued at over $115,000
and over $600,500 in U.S. currency and property. .
Additional Drug Rehab Centers Needed: The increasing availability of
both illegal substances and illegally obtained pharmaceuticals naturally causes
an increase in the abuse of these drugs leading to addiction to these drugs.
The increase in instances of drug abuse and drug addiction cause the increase
of drug-related crimes and leads to other negative impacts on communities.
Quality, effective drug addiction treatment is needed to help individuals
overcome their addictions, regain their lives, and begin to contribute
something positive to their communities. More drug rehab centers are needed to
handle the growing problem and accomplish this goal. |