Oregon speed showing up in wastewater tests
Statistics detailing the amount of drug users in a given community have never been very accurate, especially when it comes to a substance like methamphetamine – tweeking and confession do not go hand in hand. But the news is out in Oregon, where researchers from three universities including Oregon State have joined the latest craze: testing sewage from treatment plants as window into what people have ingested.
Although the testing only covered a one day window on March 4th, 2008 – the results reveal cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamine are prevalent nearly everywhere. MDMA (ecstasy) was found in 40% of the samples, Benzoylecgonine (cocaine) was in 80% and yes, methamphetamine was in 100% of these communities. In some places like Brooks, Grand Ronde and Powers there was enough speed found in the sewage to account for a daily intake of over 1mgs per person.
Local officials remind us that tourists and say a rave in a college town like Ashland the night before may be throwing off the accuracy of these results but there is no questioning the fact that no matter where you go from the rural to the urban, speed is there and it is highly doubtful it’s going to leave.
