Reply #23: Most meth is now made in Mexico.

[spin]

Mexican 'Ice' Replaces Home-Cooked Meth in U.S.
by Howard Berkes
April 4, 2007

The nation's war on drugs has at least one successful battle: State and federal laws limiting access to cold medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine have dramatically curtailed small "mom and pop" meth labs.

Thousands of these toxic and explosive labs flourished in the nation's interior, especially in rural areas in the South, Midwest and West. From 1998 to 2003, more than 38,000 small meth labs were discovered in rural areas — more than those found in cities and suburbs combined. More than 10,000 labs were seized in 2003 alone, the peak year for small labs. They were typically set up in bathrooms, kitchens, motel rooms, cars and abandoned buildings.

But in 2004, states began restricting purchases of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, key ingredients in some meth recipes. Congress responded a year later with a federal law. The impact on meth labs was swift and dramatic, especially in the Midwest, where meth makers were especially prolific.

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There's one other key difference. Addicts and treatment counselors say Mexican meth, when smoked in its purer and more potent forms, leads to quicker and deeper addiction. They say it's an addiction that is tougher to kick.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9193186