50 Pounds of Meth Seized in Lewis County, Washington State

In Addiction, Recovery by THR

Washington State police seized 50 pounds of methamphetamine, an addictive stimulant that is popular with drug users. The meth was seized in Lewis County, Washington during a traffic stop. Although the seizure took place in Washington, the truck was registered in Oregon. The driver, a 25 year old from Portland, Oregon was arrested after a police dog detected the meth.

According to the Seattle Times, this is just the latest in a series of major drug busts in Lewis County, Washington. In the last two months, over 150 kilograms of heroin and methamphetamines have been seized in the area.

These recent busts highlight the growing addiction rates in Washington State, and across the nation. According to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington, “Opioid use, morbidity, and mortality have increased nationally and across Washington State… Crime lab data for police evidence testing indicate an 85% increase statewide, with increases in most counties” between 2011 and 2013. These alarming numbers have continued to grow recently.

With stronger substances such as Fentanyl being added to the equation, these increased rates of addiction are resulting in astronomical overdose deaths. There has also been a considerable increase in methamphetamine related overdoses in Washington State. With the opioid epidemic getting most of the nation’s attention, the nations growing methamphetamine problems go widely uncovered. According to Caleb Banta-Green on KIRO 7 News, “We’ve seen large increases in meth use, and huge increases in methamphetamine death. Really quite startling. Well over 300 last year, and about 700 opiate deaths.” Increasing awareness around the increase in methamphetamine use is essential in combating it.

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