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About the center
NATIONAL METHAMPHETAMINE TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER
State resources
State resources
RESOURCES
The situation: West Virginia
has a two-pronged meth
problem. 1) There is a lot of
rural land on which meth cooks
can ply their trade, and 2) the
state is a transshipment area
for drugs headed to nearby big
cities such as Baltimore,
Detroit, Washington and
Chicago.
Officials have reason to worry
about the future as well. High
school students in West
Virginia admit to using meth
at high rates (see graphic,
right).


Meth in West Virginia

-- West Virginia high school students who say they have used methamphetamine at least once during their life (all grades, 9th-12th).
Year                       2003      2005        2007       2009
9th graders            10.1%    9.8%        5.6%       4.0%
10th graders           12.8%    8.4%        7.7%      7.4%
11th graders           11.4%    9.3%        9.2%      7,1%
12th graders           10.9%    6.0%       10.2%      7.9%           



-- Clandestine meth lab busts in West Virginia since 2004
Year                 2004     2005    2006     2007     2008     2009    2010
Lab busts          171      216       86         42         50        52        44
Source: El Paso Intelligence Center


-- Number of people admitted to drug treatment for amphetamine-related addictions and the percentage of all admissions that were related to amphetamines (mostly meth).
Year                  2005     2006     2007     2008     2009    2010
Number            176       187       138       147       88        n/a
Percentage       2.7%      2.3%     1.8%    1.5%    1.4%    n/a
(Note: the national average percentage of meth admissions is 6.3%)
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


-- Seizures of methamphetamine in West Virginia by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Seizure amounts are in kilograms (note: 1 kg. = 2.2 lbs.):
Year                 2005     2006     2007     2008     2009    2010
Seizures           1,8         8.7       2.8       0.3        3.6       4.7
Source: Drug Enforcement Administration


Speaking of meth

“Not only does it permeate the walls, it also permeates the body. We need to introduce and pass legislation that stops the rental and sale of property to people who do not know that the property may have been a meth lab.”
- Delegate Sharon Spencer, D-Kanawha

If you have comments or information to add, please e-mail the National Meth Center
Student meth use outpaces rest of nation
Percentage of high school students (grades 9-12) who say they have used meth at least once in their lives
- U.S. average        - W. Va. average
Source: Centers for Disease Control survey
     2003                2005                 2007                  2009
7.6%
11.3%
6.2%
8.4%
4.4%
8.1%
4.1%
6.5%