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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The quality of Utah's methamphetamine just isn't what it used to be and police say that's making it harder to federally prosecute those sell the illegal street drug.
Federal law enforcement agencies use a formula to determine whether to prosecute meth cases. The lower quality the drug, the more that must be confiscated or bought from a dealer to make a case.
Salt Lake City-based U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Frank Smith said lately agents have seen meth that's just 30 percent pure costing up to $1,800 per ounce. In 2005, Smith said the drug was routinely 90 percent pure and roughly $1,000 an ounce.
"It's more difficult to find methamphetamine in Utah right now than it's ever been," said Smith.
Smith credits crackdowns by police at home and abroad for the changes in meth.
But Jenny Riggs, who was convicted of forging checks to fuel her meth addiction in 2008, believes the drop in purity could lead to an increase in crime. The less pure the drug, the more a user needs. That means they'll need more money to get it, she said.
"They're just committing more crimes to look for the best product," Riggs, 30, said in a telephone interview from the Utah State Prison.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
